Moment paedophile martial arts teacher, 75, who raped and sexually abused girl is arrested as he’s caged for 25 years

THIS is the moment a martial arts instructor is arrested before being jailed for a string of vile non-recent sexual assaults and rapes. Anthony Swanson, 75, of Sidcup, London, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday, July 7. The martial arts instructor was investigated after a victim reported him to police in 2022 Credit: MET POLICE/UNPIXS Swanson and the victim first met in 2000 Credit: MET POLICE/UNPIXS Video footage shows the moment officers from the Met Police storm Swanson’s home and bring him into custody. The twisted abuser can be seen sitting calmly on his couch as officers explain that he is under arrest. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Officers read Swanson his rights as he continues to sit on the couch, saying nothing. An investigation into the abuse was launched after a girl – who was in her early teens at the time of the abuse – came forward to report him in 2022. Swanson was sentenced to 25 years behind bars Credit: MET POLICE/UNPIXS One harrowing incident saw Swanson abuse the girl in the presence of her mum Credit: MET POLICE/UNPIXS The victim met Swanson in 2000 through martial arts lessons that he ran at a church hall in Beckenham. Swanson groomed the girl before going on to sexually abuse her and rape her on several occasions. One harrowing incident saw him rape her during a resident trip to Bath, Somerset. The victim was also abused in the presence of her mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Most read in The Sun Her mum pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child at Woolwich Crown Court in September 2024. She was subsequently sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, at the same court yesterday. Swanson was interviewed twice by detectives, both times denying that he had done anything wrong. In an impact statement read to the court at Swanson’s sentencing hearing, the victim said: “When the abuse initially stopped, I locked it away in my mind and tried to forget and ignore what had happened. It was too traumatic. “I came to realise through therapy that what he did happened, and that will never change. “I will always have to live with the horrific acts of abuse he put me through. “I am scared to bring children into the world knowing they could be hurt, abused or damaged at the hands of a paedophile like Tony Swanson, like I was. “Swanson knows what he did to me and always has. He decided to abuse me again by pleading not guilty. “He says I tried to ruin him. He has ruined me and shown no remorse.” Swanson was found guilty of four counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault, three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child. Detectives have appealed for further victim-survivors to come forward after Swanson was jailed. Detective Constable Leonora Simpson, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “What happened to this young girl was awful. Anthony Swanson is an evil predator who thought nothing of taking advantage of the position of trust he held to carry out this vile campaign of sexual abuse. “Based on the gravity of Swanson’s offending, we believe he may have other victims who have yet to come forward. “We know that Swanson began teaching children’s martial arts classes in the Beckenham and Sidcup area in the early 2000s. “He led residential trips to the West Country and Inverness in Scotland. “I am appealing to potential victims to come forward and speak to us about what happened. “Any information will be treated extremely sensitively, and you will be supported by specialist officers.”