The Crown extra jailed for raping girls as young as 13 after posing as ‘sugar daddy’ on dating apps

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A rapist has been jailed for 25 years for using dating apps to exploit vulnerable girls as young as 13.

John Bancroft, a former film extra on Netflix drama The Crown, posed as a “sugar daddy” and used fake accounts on teenage dating apps to lure child victims 40 years his junior.

He targeted seven girls between 13 and 18, offering to pay for sex and manipulating them into believing it was consensual.

The 68-year-old would tell his victims he was much younger. He offered to be their mentor, teacher, or a father figure but in reality was intent on “satisfying his own twisted demands,” the Metropolitan Police said.

In return for money, gifts or food, the teenage girls were expected to pander to his requests for group sex and sadomasochistic acts.

Bancroft’s brother Graham Manicom was also found to have twice met the victims for sex in a hotel room.

The 62-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of paying for the sexual services of a child and was jailed for four years.

The brothers came to the attention of police when one of the victim’s sisters grew suspicious of someone she was speaking to online and reported it.

Bancroft’s offending took place over a year between 2016 and 2017.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard he would drive victims to hotels around the country or take them to remote areas for sex.

He would send them up to 100 WhatsApp messages a day, including obscene photos of himself – and shared indecent images of the young girls on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Bancroft, from Buckhurst Hill in Essex, was found guilty of four counts of rape, meeting a child following sexual grooming, paying for the sexual services of a child, attempting, causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child and attempting sexual communication with a child.

Before his seven-week trial began, he admitted causing actual bodily harm to a child during sexual activity and 14 counts of taking, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

In the second week of the trial, he pleaded guilty to a further 15 offences including paying for the sexual services of a child, causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child and attempted sexual communication with a child.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register.

His brother admitted two counts of paying for the sexual services of a child.

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said he was glad the brothers were behind bars.

He described the pair as “sick and twisted”, saying they caused “immeasurable harm to the victims” and “pose a serious risk to vulnerable women and girls.”

“They preyed on their vulnerabilities in a sinister and calculating manner,” he said.

He praised the bravery of the seven victims and urged anyone with similar experiences to contact the police.