Google Search requires user consent to function — a straightforward digital handshake that asks permission before loading a service that may use cookies or similar technologies. That same principle of affirmative agreement, so clearly stated in the ‘Allow and Continue’ prompt, stands in stark contrast to the calculated betrayal of trust carried out by a man who exploited his position as a foster carer to prey on children over nearly a decade.
Consent: from a button to a breach of trust
The consent mechanism for Google Custom Search is designed to give users control. By clicking ‘Allow and Continue’ a visitor actively permits the search feature to load. The process is transparent, reversible, and rooted in the understanding that no data should be collected without the user’s knowledge. Yet for five young victims, there was no such choice. Bradley Dilsworth, 69, systematically groomed, abused, and raped children between 2002 and 2010 — a period in which, according to the Metropolitan Police, he concealed “his true nature behind the image of a trusted and approachable adult.” The children he invited into his home after school were offered cannabis and alcohol, not a clear opt-in prompt. One victim was told that what he had done was “a beautiful thing” and that they should do it more often. Dilsworth, the police said, derived satisfaction from “sexual and emotionally dominating” his victims.
Two of the victims were unconscious when they were attacked. The youngest was seven years old. One girl was raped between the ages of five and eight after her parents left her with Dilsworth. Another, aged seven, was abused while staying at his house with her parents. A third believed she was in a relationship with him and was regularly raped until she turned 17, ceasing contact at 19. A fourth girl witnessed that abuse and was then pressured into sex by Dilsworth when she was 14. A fifth victim was drugged and raped when she was 14 or 15. At Snaresbrook Crown Court on 21st May, Dilsworth was convicted of 22 child sex offences, including rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault. Judge Edward Franklin noted there was “no evidence of remorse” and that Dilsworth had contested all charges. The judge sentenced him to 31 years in prison and issued an indefinite restraining order.
Privacy policy: the safeguards that were ignored
Every user who reaches the Google Search consent notice is one click away from a privacy policy that explains how their data will be handled. The policy is a formal contract, a guarantee of protection. In the context of foster care, similar safeguards are supposed to exist. The Children Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to investigate allegations against foster carers. Between 1999 and 2008, five girls of primary school age in the care of Hackney Council were sexually abused in a foster home. In another case, a foster carer was convicted of over twenty sexual offences against five looked-after children during the same period and admitted offences against an unidentified young person 30 years prior. Concerns have been raised repeatedly about the vetting and oversight of foster carers. Some individuals, experts say, may see fostering as a way to generate income rather than being motivated by altruism. There is a shortage of good quality foster carers, which can lead to children being placed with unsuitable families. Allegations against foster carers are not always thoroughly investigated and are sometimes dismissed, leaving victims without justice.
The Metropolitan Police began investigating Dilsworth after a victim came forward in November 2023. Officers arrested him in April 2025 and searched his home, which they described as an “Aladdin’s cave” of electrical devices. Some 100 digital exhibits were seized. The police believe there could be more victims and are appealing for anyone who may have been harmed to come forward, particularly women who attended school in Walthamstow or who recognise Dilsworth from his time as a foster carer, builder, or lorry driver. Abuse in foster care has a long history in the UK. The case of Denis O’Neill, a 12-year-old Welsh evacuee who died in 1945 following an assault by his foster father, is widely cited as an early example. In 2017, Roy Darvill, a 79-year-old foster carer from Walthamstow, was jailed for 16 years for raping and indecently assaulting five children over a 20-year period from 1975 to 1995. His son was also convicted and received a suspended sentence.
The button: a choice that victims never had
The ‘Allow and Continue’ button is a visible, deliberate action. Users can choose to grant consent or decline. For the children Dilsworth abused, there was no such voluntary participation. Two victims were unconscious. Others were groomed into believing they were in a relationship. One was pressured into sex. The emotional, behavioural, and learning difficulties that result from child sexual exploitation and abuse are profound, and victims often carry the emotional scars for the rest of their lives. Specialist organisations — including NHS England Sexual Assault Referral Centres, the NSPCC, Barnardo’s, Safeline, Cyfannol Women’s Aid, SARSAS, NAPAC, and the London Survivors Gateway — provide confidential information, advice, and support to victims and survivors. The Fostering Network has called for a “deep dive” into allegation investigations in foster care, similar to those conducted for teachers. A significant proportion of allegations are unsubstantiated, but confirmed cases of abuse or neglect do occur, and the consequences for children can be very damaging. In cases of substantiated allegations, outcomes for foster carers can include no further action, further support and training, or termination of their approval to foster. A small number may be referred to the Independent Safeguarding Authority or face criminal prosecution.
In England as of March 2015, there were 44,625 fostering households. In the preceding 12 months, 2,420 allegations were made against carers — 58% physical abuse, 19% emotional, 15% neglect, and 8% sexual abuse. The investigation process can be distressing for the entire fostering family. Many foster carers report feeling assumed guilty until proven innocent and experience a lack of communication. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, the rape of a child aged 12 or younger carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Sentencing guidelines that came into effect in May 2022 consider the culpability of the offender, the harm caused to the victim, the age and vulnerability of the child, the age gap between offender and victim, and any breach of trust. Bradley Dilsworth, who allowed children to smoke cannabis and drink alcohol at his home, who told at least one victim that the abuse was “beautiful,” and who contested every charge, was given 31 years. He was also handed an indefinite restraining order. The button that grants consent to a search engine offers nothing to the five victims he left behind — only the knowledge that a jury finally said no for them.
