# The Enfield shoe salesman in a global drug-rape network > A quiet father of two from north London became the first Briton convicted in a worldwide network of men who drugged and filmed sleeping women. - Title: The Enfield shoe salesman in a global drug-rape network - Summary: A quiet father of two from north London became the first Briton convicted in a worldwide network of men who drugged and filmed sleeping women. The Pelicot… - Keywords: crime, sexual violence, policing, pelicot case, uk courts, news, entertainment, Enfield, shoe, salesman, global, drug-rape - Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16123981/Shoe-salesman-sexual-assault-global-network-men.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss - Published: 2026-09-11T14:40:58+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: crime, sexual violence, policing, pelicot case, uk courts, news, entertainment ## A first conviction Darren Conway, 52, a married shoe salesman from north London, is the first Briton convicted in a global rape network tied to France's Pelicot case. ## What he actually did On an internet forum, Conway urged men to sexually assault their own wives while the women were unconscious, asleep, or drugged into stupor. ## Instructions to a husband He told one husband to undress his sleeping wife. On other occasions he directed the man to touch her intimately while she slept. ## Three years of watching The footwear and clothing supplier spent three years secretly watching sleeping naked women, requesting videos from other forum users on at least ten occasions. ## It started with Gisèle The whole investigation traces back to global revulsion at the abuse of Gisèle Pelicot, now 73, by her husband and 50 other men. ## Journalists found the rest After Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years in 2024, German journalists began digging and uncovered an international web of predators sharing abuse of drugged women. ## The tip-off Those journalists passed what they had to the UK's National Crime Agency, which then found images and videos of sedated women being assaulted and raped. ## Eight Britons, seven countries The NCA identified eight British men using the chatroom for drug-facilitated sexual offending, alongside offenders in France, Germany, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands and the US. ## They traded technique Members swapped more than footage. They exchanged tips and advice on which sedatives worked best. ## Nearly 270 offenders Conway is the first person convicted out of a drug-rape network the investigation puts at close to 270 offenders. ## The neighbour's view To his street in Enfield he was unremarkable. He lived with his family in a semi-detached house and said hello on the pavement. > Darren is not the person you would expect to be involved in something like this. ## Eleven guilty pleas At Wood Green Crown Court he admitted eleven charges, including nine of encouraging others to sexually assault unconscious or stupefied women between 2023 and 2026. ## No emotion in the dock Conway showed nothing as he also pleaded guilty to voyeurism and possession of extreme pornography. ## A forum built for it The prosecutor described a platform whose function was connecting men already involved in organised sexual offending and domestic abuse. > The indictment reflects the defendant's involvement in an online forum which connects others who are involved in organised sexual offending and domestic abuse. ## More charges may follow Alexander Agbamu told the court the offending stretches back years and involves scores of other men, with fresh evidence arriving since proceedings began. > The extent of the offending goes back some years and involves scores of other offenders. ## One of many inquiries The case follows a similar one in Manchester and is described as an early strand of a much wider set of investigations across Britain. > The case had generated many other inquiries across the country, and this is one of them. ## The judge on dangerousness Judge John Dodd called them unusual, extremely serious sexual offences and said he needs help on several issues, including whether Conway is dangerous. > Mr Conway has pleaded guilty to some unusual serious sexual offences. ## Violated at home London's Chief Crown Prosecutor framed the harm around place: these women were attacked where they were meant to be safest. > Darren Conway committed vile acts against women in their own homes, a place where they should have been safe. ## The victims are unidentified Police are still working through footage on Conway's devices to name the women. Most offending appears to be UK-based, but some victims may be abroad. ## A call to come forward The Met asked anyone who suspects they were targeted, or who knows someone involved, to contact police. Conway will be sentenced on October 30. > Anyone who has reason to believe that they may have been a victim of sexual offending should report to police. ## Key takeaway The Pelicot case was not a French anomaly. It was the thread that pulled open a network of nearly 270 men across every continent, including ordinary neighbours on ordinary streets.