Facts About the Black Cab Rapist, John Worboys 🚕

John Derek Radford, born John Worboys in June 1957, is a British convicted serial sex offender known as the Black Cab Rapist. He was convicted in 2009 for attacks on 12 women, committed between 2007 and 2008, and in 2019 for attacks on four more women, the earliest from 2000. Police say he may have had more than 100 victims.

👤 Background and Personal Life

Born in Enfield, Middlesex, Worboys left school with few qualifications and worked as a milkman, junior dairy manager, and security guard. He lived alone in Rotherhithe before marrying Kate Santos in 1991; they separated after four years. Santos stated that he sexually assaulted her daughter and confessed to following home and assaulting another woman.

💼 Career and Taxi Work

From 1987 to 2000, Worboys worked as a stripper using the pseudonym “Terry the Minder” and directed and appeared in a pornographic film. In 1996, he passed The Knowledge exam to operate as a taxi driver in London, also working in Bournemouth while living in Poole. He continued working as a stripper at night.

🔬 Modus Operandi and Evidence

Worboys picked up women late at night, claiming he had won money, showing a bag of cash, and offering drugged champagne. After the drugs took effect, he would rape or sexually assault them, often leaving them with little memory. Police found a “rape kit” in his car containing champagne miniatures, gloves, a torch, vibrators, condoms, sleeping tablets, and an ashtray for crushing drugs.

📅 Timeline of Attacks and Arrest

First reports to police dated from 2002, with 14 women reporting similar incidents over six years, but police failed to link them. On 16 February 2008, Worboys was arrested, and on 18 February, charged with one count of rape, four counts of sexual assault, and six counts of administering a substance with intent. The total later rose to 14 as more victims came forward.

Victim	Year	Location	Outcome
25-year-old woman	2002-2008	Fulham	Reported assault, limited memory
Journalist	2002-2008	Regent Street	Woke with no memory
22-year-old woman	2002-2008	Oxford Street	Refused drink, became aggressive
19-year-old student	2007	Covent Garden	Sexually assaulted, Worboys arrested

🔍 John Worboys, known as the Black Cab Rapist, was a London taxi driver who drugged and sexually assaulted women over many years. He was convicted for attacks on 16 women, though police believe he may have had over 100 victims. His arrest in 2008 followed a pattern of drugging victims with champagne and sedatives, leaving them with little memory of the assaults.