A MAN FROM LONDON WHO PLANNED TO TRAVEL OVERSEAS AND RAPE CHILDREN HAS BEEN CONVICTED
SENTENCING UPDATE 26/01/2026: At Guildford Crown Court on January 23, he was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 19 years and 46 days.Her Honour Judge Harden-Frost said: "The jury saw through your account.
You, Mr Gratwick, have been unmasked.
"What follows can properly be described as the stuff of nightmares.
"You have been dragged out of the dark web and shone a light on by officers from the NCA and prosecution team.
"You are manipulative and had the tools to deceive.
"You are a very high risk to children for as long as you remain alive and in moderate health.
———————————————————————— A man from London, who intended to travel abroad with the aim of sexually abusing children as young as six, has been convicted following an investigation by the National Crime Agency.
Edward Gratwick, aged 68 and from Mitcham, was detained at Stansted Airport on 7 March 2025 when he was about to board a flight to Bucharest, Romania.
NCA authorities received intelligence indicating that a UK citizen had been engaging online with another individual, discussing plans to meet to sexually assault a nine-year-old girl.
The pair also plotted to drug the girl with GHB so she would have no memory of the abuse.
Identified as Gratwick, officers moved quickly to arrest him once it was confirmed he was departing the UK.
Meanwhile, overseas law enforcement managed to locate and arrest the other individual involved, rescuing three children in the process.
Following Gratwick’s arrest, authorities searched his residence and confiscated electronic devices.
An examination of his messages revealed the use of encrypted apps such as Teleguard, aTox, and Session to communicate with offenders across the UK, Europe, and other countries.
They also uncovered graphic sexual content and indecent images of children.
His chat exchanges indicated active discussions about child sexual abuse with individuals who claimed to have access to girls aged six to ten.
Gratwick detailed his intentions to abuse young girls explicitly and, in some cases, offered to pay money for his services.
He frequently mentioned the idea of drugging victims to erase their memories, referencing substances like rohypnol and GHB, which he described as “a good rape drug.” When officers searched his home, they found bottles in his kitchen fridge containing Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), classified as a Class B drug.
Further analysis of his devices uncovered images of bottles he had shared, with messages indicating he planned to bring enough GHB to facilitate abuse when he arrived.
In conversations, Gratwick portrayed himself as a ‘pimp,’ offering to serve other paedophiles and claiming he would take a 25% commission for his part in facilitating abuse.
Chat records also revealed a booking at an Airbnb in Bucharest from 7 to 9 March 2025, along with messages between Gratwick and a contact in Romania, who claimed to be a mother of a 10-year-old girl.
These messages, dating from February and March 2025, included detailed plans for sexual abuse Gratwick intended to carry out in Bucharest.
Additionally, the chat logs showed concern about being watched, with Gratwick asking about a timer plug for a light and discussing a specific sleeveless top to dress the girl in.
When stopped at the airport, officers seized items such as a timer plug and a child's top from his luggage.
More than 1,300 indecent images of children were found on his devices, including 632 in the most severe Category A.
Gratwick had shared some of these images with others and described his collection as a “diverse library,” although not extensive.
On 9 March 2025, Gratwick faced charges of 11 child sexual abuse offences, including 10 counts of arranging to commit child sex offences such as the rape of a child under 13.
He was remanded in custody and faced additional charges as his trial progressed.
On 10 October, Gratwick was convicted on 38 counts covering acts like arranging or attempting to arrange child sex offences, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, and possessing and distributing indecent images.
He is scheduled for sentencing on 28 November at Guildford Crown Court.
