ANDREW SWANSON – 75 – SIDCUP
A 75‑year‑old martial arts instructor who groomed and repeatedly raped a teenage girl over three years has been jailed for 25 years as detectives issue an urgent appeal for further victim‑survivors to come forward. Anthony Swanson, of Wren Road, Sidcup, was today exposed as a serial predator who used the Taoist Arts Organisation he founded in 1995 to target vulnerable young girls attending classes in a Beckenham church hall.
Woolwich Crown Court heard how Swanson manipulated and groomed the victim from her early teens before subjecting her to repeated sexual abuse, including raping her during a residential martial arts trip to Bath, Somerset.
The abuse was so brazen that he even assaulted her in the presence of her own mother, who has now been convicted for her role in the crimes.
Swanson was found guilty of 15 offences — including four counts of rape, four indecent assaults, three counts of sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child — following a trial on 7 July.
He was sentenced on 28 August to 25 years in prison. His victim first came forward in February 2022, sparking a major Met Police investigation that uncovered years of hidden abuse.
The girl bravely detailed how Swanson used his authority as an instructor to isolate her, groom her and repeatedly violate her trust.
Her mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child and received a 16‑month suspended sentence. Detectives say Swanson’s offending may stretch far beyond the single victim identified so far and are urging anyone with information to come forward immediately.
Police are asking victim‑survivors or anyone with relevant information to contact officers on 101, quoting CAD 1652/26AUG26, or to report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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