A family court in London has heard harrowing evidence of a grooming case that began with a teenager’s desperate search for parental approval. Vincent, 14, from Croydon, told social workers his parents ‘never say he’s good enough’, according to documents seen by this paper. That emotional void was filled by a middle-aged couple, Mark and Sarah Thompson, who met him on a gaming forum.
Over eight months, they cultivated his trust, bought him gifts and eventually isolated him from his family. The Thompsons now face charges of child grooming and sexual exploitation. The court heard Vincent’s parents, both professionals, frequently criticised his school performance and refused to attend his football matches.
‘I just wanted someone to be proud of me,’ Vincent said in a recorded interview. The couple allegedly used that need, telling him they would be his ‘new family’. They picked him up from school, took him to their home in Sutton, and introduced him to alcohol.
The case has reignited debates about parental pressure and online safety. A source close to the investigation said: ‘Vincent was looking for love in all the wrong places. These predators exploited a basic human need.
’ The trial continues.
