Iqbal Singh abused his position at Phone Repairs and Vape Store on Station Way in Cheam to gain the trust of the girl before he raped her in the shop in 2020.
Last month the 45-year-old was convicted of rape and four sexual assaults after a jury heard that he had groomed her using vapes and alcohol.
It has now been revealed that Singh, who also goes by the name Tony, owned the Mobilfox vape shop on Station Approach by Hayes Station between February 2018 and October 2019.
It was also revealed that in 2019 he sexually assaulted a girl in her late teens in Bromley in circumstances similar to his later offences – a court convicted him of that sexual assault in 2022.
Singh dissolved the Hayes business in October 2019 and months later he purchased the shop in Cheam.
The vape businesses currently located on the same premises in Hayes and Cheam are now owned by individuals who have no connection to Singh, who is being held in prison until he is sentenced in December.
The mum of the 14-year-old girl said: “Singh manipulated my daughter by giving her free vapes, claiming they were samples from suppliers. He used this tactic to gain her trust.
“The grooming began just months after he took over the shop in Cheam – shockingly, only about a year after he targeted his previous victim.
“We only learned about that earlier case during the court proceedings.
“The disturbing similarities in his approach to both girls reveal a calculated and refined pattern of grooming. That’s why I remain deeply concerned that there may be many more victims out there.
“Singh operated shops in Hayes in Bromley, and Cheam, and has known connections in Carshalton and Croydon.
“I urge every parent: if you’ve found vapes in your child’s possession or noticed sudden changes in their behaviour, trust your instincts. Start the conversation. It could make all the difference.”
Iqbal Singh pictured leaving Croydon Crown Court where he was convicted of rape and four sexual assaults against a 14-year-old girl(Image: Newsquest)
The detective who led the Met Police investigation to Singh’s offending in Cheam warned that he might have more victims.
Detective Sergeant Toyene Lait: “We remain concerned other survivors have not yet been identified. We are here to help, and anyone who would like to make a report should contact 101.”
During the Cheam rape trial at Croydon Crown Court, prosecutor Andrew Bousfield told the jury: “This case is about the grooming of a 14-year-old girl by a 40-year-old man that leads to her eventual rape.”
Singh, a married man born in Afghanistan, befriended the girl and other schoolchildren, allowing them to use the back room of the shop to watch TV, smoke THC vapes and drink alcohol he bought for them.
Three of the sexual assaults took place on various occasions as Singh lifted the girl up to reach the THC vapes in the shop.
Then late in 2020 the girl got drunk at a party and like many 14-year-olds she did not want to go home that drunk, Mr Bousfield said.
She trusted Singh and remembered that he said he would always help her, so she asked to sleep in the shop.
Once in the shop he provided tequila and a THC vape then began massaging her legs and sexually assaulted her.
The girl then fell asleep and woke up as Singh raped her.
The girl said: “The next day I was just trying to piece together what had happened and telling myself it was my fault because I was the one who called him.”
The rape was not reported at the time but a teacher later found out when she went through the girl’s phone.
Among notes found on her phone were “Tony’s face haunts me” and “I’m going to kill Tony and then myself”.
Giving evidence in court, the victim said “in all honestly I was never actually going to report it” but that she later realised it was the right thing to do so that Singh could not do the same to another victim.
Asked what she felt at the time, she said: “Anger. I was angry. I still am. I didn’t know what to do.”
Singh denied the offences, alleging that the girl he made it up, but the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty.
The girl’s mum said: “I am incredibly proud of my daughter for finding the courage to stand up—not just for herself, but for others.
“She endured the trauma of going to court because she couldn’t bear the thought that if she stayed silent, it might happen to someone else.
“She takes comfort in knowing that Singh is now in prison and can’t hurt anyone else. But it’s been five years since he raped her, and our deepest concern remains: how many other victims are still out there, unheard and unsupported?
“We hope that by sharing this, others who may have been affected will feel empowered to come forward. You are not alone.”
