OSVALDO DASILVA FROM WOODFORD GREEN SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN WOODFORD AND ESSEX
| Red Rose Database
Woodford Sexual Abuser
In a case that has shocked the local community, Osvaldo Dasilva, a 24-year-old man originally from Woodford Green, was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to multiple counts of indecent assault against a young girl. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse that spanned over four years, beginning when the victim was just seven years old.
According to the evidence presented at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Dasilva, who resided at The Roses in Woodford Green, engaged in a series of sexual assaults on the girl during visits to her home. The abuse started in Southend in December 1998, where the girl was living at the time, and continued as her family relocated from Essex to Leyton and later to Ilford. The court heard that Dasilva, who was considered a trusted family friend, would often visit the young girl in her bedroom, where he would remove her clothing and commit acts of molestation.
The court was told that the abuse persisted over a four-year period, with the young girl enduring 14 separate incidents of indecent assault. The victim finally confided in her family doctor in May 2002, after which she disclosed the abuse she had suffered. This revelation prompted police investigations that eventually led to Dasilva’s arrest.
It was also revealed that Dasilva, who was born in Angola, fled the United Kingdom to avoid prosecution shortly after the abuse was uncovered. He remained in hiding for several months before returning to the UK last September, at which point he voluntarily surrendered himself to the police. His defense lawyer, Kim Jenkins, described his decision to turn himself in as “courageous,” stating, “He voluntarily surrendered himself to police and had it not been for his actions the likelihood of him ever being brought before a court was unlikely, indeed many would have remained at arm’s length.”
Prior to the start of the abuse, Dasilva had experienced personal upheaval, including the loss of his stepfather and the loss of his job, which the court noted as contextual factors.
Judge Stephen Robbins condemned Dasilva’s actions as a gross betrayal of trust, emphasizing the severity and repeated nature of the offenses. He stated, “This was persistent and repeated. Fourteen times you indecently assaulted this girl over four years. It was a gross abuse of trust, this being a very young girl. Your conduct was shocking and disgraceful.”
As part of his sentence, Dasilva pleaded guilty to five specific charges of indecent assault committed between December 31, 1998, and May 10, 2002. The court also ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders register for the remainder of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions related to his conduct.
This case underscores the importance of vigilance and trust within communities, especially when it involves safeguarding vulnerable children from those who exploit that trust for their own harmful purposes.
According to the evidence presented at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Dasilva, who resided at The Roses in Woodford Green, engaged in a series of sexual assaults on the girl during visits to her home. The abuse started in Southend in December 1998, where the girl was living at the time, and continued as her family relocated from Essex to Leyton and later to Ilford. The court heard that Dasilva, who was considered a trusted family friend, would often visit the young girl in her bedroom, where he would remove her clothing and commit acts of molestation.
The court was told that the abuse persisted over a four-year period, with the young girl enduring 14 separate incidents of indecent assault. The victim finally confided in her family doctor in May 2002, after which she disclosed the abuse she had suffered. This revelation prompted police investigations that eventually led to Dasilva’s arrest.
It was also revealed that Dasilva, who was born in Angola, fled the United Kingdom to avoid prosecution shortly after the abuse was uncovered. He remained in hiding for several months before returning to the UK last September, at which point he voluntarily surrendered himself to the police. His defense lawyer, Kim Jenkins, described his decision to turn himself in as “courageous,” stating, “He voluntarily surrendered himself to police and had it not been for his actions the likelihood of him ever being brought before a court was unlikely, indeed many would have remained at arm’s length.”
Prior to the start of the abuse, Dasilva had experienced personal upheaval, including the loss of his stepfather and the loss of his job, which the court noted as contextual factors.
Judge Stephen Robbins condemned Dasilva’s actions as a gross betrayal of trust, emphasizing the severity and repeated nature of the offenses. He stated, “This was persistent and repeated. Fourteen times you indecently assaulted this girl over four years. It was a gross abuse of trust, this being a very young girl. Your conduct was shocking and disgraceful.”
As part of his sentence, Dasilva pleaded guilty to five specific charges of indecent assault committed between December 31, 1998, and May 10, 2002. The court also ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders register for the remainder of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions related to his conduct.
This case underscores the importance of vigilance and trust within communities, especially when it involves safeguarding vulnerable children from those who exploit that trust for their own harmful purposes.