Tooting: A Tooting mother has warned children and parents to be on their guard following the conviction of a 47-year-old man who assaulted her teenage daughter.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said children should not be afraid to come forward and tell an adult if any incidents of this kind happen to them.

She told the Guardian: "This married man, who has two children, was in a position of trust and he totally abused it by winning my daughters confidence on false pretences over a period of four months."

The Tooting man, Bitun Chandra Patel, was convicted of two counts of assault last week at Kingston Crown Court, for offences which took place in December last year.

His name has been added to the sex offenders register for five years and he has to attend a sex offenders programme to help him modify his behaviour.

He was also given a community rehabilitation order (CRO) for two years.

The mother of his 14-year-old victim added: "I am worried the CRO will bring him into contact with children and am angry he was not given a higher sentence, because my daughter was in a terrible state for months afterwards and was crying all the time."

He threatened to commit suicide if my daughter did not give him what he wanted and she was worried about telling anyone, because she was frightened she would not be believed.

She added: "I want to tell young people that if anything like this happens to them they should tell someone immediately and not feel ashamed of it, because they have done nothing wrong."

November 15, 2001 15:30