John Worboys, a black cab driver convicted of multiple sexual offenses, will have his upcoming parole hearing conducted in a public setting, as determined by officials.

At 68 years old and now going by John Radford, he enticed women into his taxi during late hours, feigning to have won a lottery and offering them a celebratory, but drugged, drink.

He was originally convicted in 2009 of 19 counts of sexual offenses involving 12 victims assaulted between October 2006 and February 2008. Worboys received an indefinite sentence designed to protect the public, with a minimum serving time of eight years.

In 2019, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of six years after additional victims came forward with allegations of crimes from 2000 to 2008, which he subsequently acknowledged.

The victims reached out to law enforcement following media coverage regarding a decision by the parole board indicating his eligibility for release after his 2009 conviction. That decision was later reversed after a legal challenge from two of the victims.

The scheduled hearing is set for June after Stephen Shute, a professor specializing in criminal law and justice at the University of Sussex, successfully petitioned for it to be held publicly. Out of seven victims consulted by the parole board, three opposed this transparency.

Peter Rook KC, the panel’s chair, expressed understanding for the women’s concerns about potential re-traumatization from media attention, but emphasized, “I firmly believe that it is crucial for the public interest that this case be heard openly.”