A twisted paedophile who raped and sexually abused children for nearly two decades has finally been locked up after his shocking crimes came to light almost 20 years later.
Pramod Dhakal, 49, carried out a campaign of abuse against eight victims — all but one under 16, the youngest just eight years old. Most lived in Cambridgeshire, with one from London.
His depravity was exposed only in November 2023, when one survivor bravely confided in her family, prompting a flood of further victims to come forward.
Dhakal, of Victorian Crescent, Doncaster, was arrested two days after the first report. But he denied everything, forcing survivors to endure a gruelling 20-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court in September.
Jurors saw straight through his lies, convicting him unanimously in less than three hours on 25 charges — including seven rapes, 15 sexual assaults on a child, and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
On Monday (1 December), the judge handed Dhakal 25 years in prison, plus an extended eight years on licence.
Dhakal was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and given a restraining order preventing him from contacting all eight of his victims for the same timeframe.
DC Phillipa Mallett, who investigated, said: “This case highlights that no matter when the abuse happened, or when you feel comfortable to share your story with the police, we take reports of this nature extremely seriously.
“We will endeavour to do everything we can to protect the public from child sexual offenders in our communities, no matter how much time has passed.
I hope this outcome brings closure to the survivors of Dhakal’s abuse. I commend them on their bravery for coming forward and potentially stopping further children being exploited.
Child abuse comes in many different forms and can affect anyone. If you notice something that doesn’t feel right, or think a child might be at risk, I encourage you to speak up. Sharing any concerns, no matter how small, can make all the difference.”
