Man posing as security guard at Guildford Friary told teenagers he needed to search them in changing rooms
He was charged with attempted kidnap and breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order
A "dangerous sexual predator" has been detained in hospital indefinitely after posing as a security guard at a Guildford shopping centre and telling two teenagers that he needed to search them in the changing rooms.
22-year-old Benjamin Cooley of Ferry Lane, Guildford was not fit to enter a plea, but the jury in the case found that he did commit the offences of attempted kidnap and breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Yesterday (11 March) at Guildford Crown Court he was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order over the incident at Primark in the Friary shopping centre in November 2019.
He had told the victims he was a security guard and that he needed to search them in the changing rooms.
The teenagers accompanied him, but when Cooley was challenged by a member of shop staff, he took them to another area of the shopping centre and tried to get them into a cupboard, raising the teenager’s suspicions.
Detective Constable Pete Coe from Surrey Police said: “Thankfully their suspicions were raised resulting in them challenging his claims and prevented any further offences from taking place.
“Cooley is a dangerous sexual predator who will now face being detained in hospital indefinitely.”
Cooley was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order issued against him in November 2017 and was subsequently charged with breaching the terms of this order. He has been on remand since his arrest.
DC Coe added: “I would like to pay tribute to the two victims for their bravery in coming forward and providing evidence we needed to secure Cooley’s conviction.
“I hope that the sentence given to him will give them some form of closure, as well as sending a clear message that anyone who commits similar offences will be dealt with robustly.”