A care worker who raped, sexually abused and filmed grotesque videos of an unknown number of elderly vulnerable women across two care homes in Essex has been jailed.
Teo-Valentin Todorovits targeted an unknown number of “helpless” victims over three years while they were under his care, with many suffering from dementia or mental disorders and unable to report his behaviour.
He was eventually caught after a used condom was found in the corridor of his workplace, and later pleaded guilty to 12 charges of rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and neglect.
Only two of his victims have been identified after Todorovits took pictures and videos of his assaults, with their families left “devastated” by the “gross abuse of trust”.
The Independent first revealed Todorovits horrific crimes earlier this year and that three police officers are under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to allegations they failed to investigate initial reports of rape and sexual assault.
Appearing this week at Chelmsford Crown Court, the 23-year-old Romanian national was jailed for 24 years for his “shocking, vile and depraved” crimes, and will serve an additional six years on extended licence.
“I have no doubt in my mind he targeted people he knew would have no ability to stop him or to report him,” Judge Christopher Morgan said.
The court heard that Todorovits was employed at the first care home, which cannot be named for legal reasons, from June 2020 until April 2021, where he sexually abused seven elderly residents.
His actions first came to light in March 2021, when staff at the first care home discovered a used condom in the corridor.
“That discovery was plainly unusual, to say the least, and of immediate concern to staff,” said prosecutor Stephen Rose KC.
“Police were informed and the investigation led to members of staff providing elimination DNA samples. His sample was found to match the DNA profile inside the condom,” he said.
However, Torovits was not caught until October 2022, when officers arrested him at Luton airport, by which point he had been employed as a carer at a second care home for six months. During that period, he continued to sexually abuse and film a number of unidentified elderly women.
Videos and images found on his phone included the naked genitals and lower regions of vulnerable women, with one resident being made to eat soil and plant vegetation. Police also discovered videos of him making abusive gestures towards his victims, as well as pulling down their underwear and touching their breasts.
When first interviewed by police, Todorovits denied sexually abusing his patients and claimed that the condom had been planted by “someone else that was trying to get him into trouble”.
However, in further interviews in November 2022, he admitted sexually touching a number of elderly women for his own sexual gratification and raping one of his victims.
Listing the aggravating features, Mr Rose said: “We note the dementia or presumed dementia of each victim, rendering them unlikely to protest, defend or report his behaviour.
“They were helpless in the hands of this defendant. We note the advanced age, mental and physical frailty and the dependency of the victims on the staff at the care home, of which the defendant was one of them.”
One of the victim’s families told the court that since being abused, her loved one is now “angry, fearful and flinches”, and has become wary of both male staff members and residents.
“The guilt is unbearable,” one relative said. “She asked for help and we thought it was the dementia. This is why you preyed on her, because she couldn’t tell. You are sick.”
Only two of Todorovits victims can be identified
