Latest Offenders

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Former Met officer sentenced for rape

A former Met officer has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for the rape of a woman.

Former PC Tony Watts, attached to the North Area Command Unit, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday, 12 August. He was previously found guilty and remanded in custody on Tuesday, 8 July following a trial at the same court.

The offence relates to an incident that happened between mid-January and early February in 2020 when Watts was off-duty.

The victim-survivor has been supported throughout the course of the investigation and trial by dedicated specialist officers.

Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines, who leads the North Area policing team, said:

“Tony Watts has shown a complete disregard for this victim-survivor and for his duty to protect women and girls – in the vilest way.

“We are going above and beyond at the Met to rid the force of those who corrupt our integrity, and it is quite right that Watts has been held accountable for his actions.

“It would have taken a huge amount of courage and strength to speak to police, the way this victim-survivor did, and I hope this sentence provides some closure.

“My message to any other victims who may have experienced a sexual encounter they felt wasn’t right is that they can and should come forward, and we will do everything we can to support you.”

Watts was arrested following the incident being reported in May 2022.

He was bailed while further enquiries took place, before being charged with rape on Wednesday, 25 September 2024 and suspended from duty.

A misconduct hearing took place on Friday, 8 August where Watts was dismissed without notice after the Chair found he breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Discreditable Conduct at a level of gross misconduct.

He will now be added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies, the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

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A paedophile with a nappy fetish has been jailed for a horrific sexual assault on a toddler.

Ashley Carter - who has a string of previous convictions related to his sexual fascination with nappies - carried out the attack at a hotel in Norwich.

Norwich Crown Court heard the 35-year-old filmed the incident in a bathroom at the Travelodge on Queen's Road.

The footage showed Carter, who was naked, shove a soiled nappy in the face of the child, who became distraught.

Peter Gair, prosecuting, said the assault was deemed to be sexual because of Carter's known sexual fetish involving nappies.

Carter, of no fixed address, has seven convictions for 10 previous offences, including two indecent exposures and two offences of outraging public decency, one of which involved him playing with himself while holding a nappy.

At the time of the assault, in November 2023, the child had been left at the hotel with Carter by the victim's mother.

After police were informed Carter was arrested and found to have 29 indecent images of children on his phone, including two category A, the most serious.

Carter received a 60 month prison sentence when he appeared at court earlier this month after admitting sexual assault on a child under 13 as well as the images offences.

A statement from the victim's mother- described how she felt "numb" as a result of what happened.

Rob Pollintgon, representing Carter, said there was nothing he could say to mitigate the offence apart from that the defendant entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity.

The barrister said it was an "appalling" offence and one that Carter was ashamed of and disgusted with.

Detective Constable Paul Atkinson from the Safeguarding Children Online Team (SCOLT), described Carter as a "repeat sexual offender and predator".

Carter was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 15 years and put on the sex offenders' register, also for 15 years.

He was also banned from contacting either mother or victim, directly or indirectly, for 10 years.

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A taxi driver has been jailed for sexually assaulting a teenage girl he picked up in his car.

"Despicable" Wahid Riaz, from Nelson, had picked up the victim from Burnley, just after midnight on 23 July 2023, Lancashire Police said.

During the journey she told Riaz how old she was, but he parked at the bottom of her street, told her to hug him and began kissing her before assaulting her and dropping her off at her house.

Riaz, 52, was jailed for five years at Preston Crown Court after being found guilty of a sexual offence.

'Vomited in bathroom'

During the journey he had told the victim she looked 16 or 17 and asked her if she had been with an Asian male, a conversation she captured on a video.

When she got into her house, she "went straight into the bathroom and vomited" before she "cried herself to sleep", police said

In a statement to the court, the victim said: "Immediately after the incident, I had a deep feeling of being dirty.

"I had really long baths and showers, and I would scrub my body so much I would make it red. I was just trying to feel clean."

She said as the incident happened in summer, she was "really conscious about what I was wearing".

"I was anxious and asked myself if my clothes were too revealing or if they showed too much skin, what might happen to me, as I blamed myself and what I wore that night," she said.

Det Con Ryan Benson, who led the investigation, said: "Wahid Riaz is a despicable individual who has a sordid sexual interest in children. He used his position as a taxi driver to isolate and then engage in sexual activity with a vulnerable young girl.

"This offence has had a profound and ongoing impact on the victim.

"Her bravery is a complete contrast to the cowardice Riaz has shown throughout this process, seeking to deny his criminal conduct despite the overwhelming evidence against him."

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A rapist from Hereford was sentenced at court yesterday (Wednesday 9 July) to eight years in prison.

Lukasz Szwagulinski, 36, of Whitecross Road, Hereford was found guilty of four offences – two counts of rape of a female, one of sexual assault by penetration and one of sexual assault between December 2024 and January 2025.

Szwagulinski was handed a prison sentence totalling eight years when he appeared before Worcester Crown Court. He was also handed a restraining order against his victim.

DC Amy Cook, of Hereford Reactive CID, said:

DC Amy Cook, of Hereford Reactive CID, said: “We are pleased to get this result for Szwagulinski whose predatory behaviour fully warrant this custodial sentence.

“I would like to pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of his victim and hope this result shows we will always listen to anyone who has been a victim of rape or sexual abuse and prosecute where appropriate, and that it may encourage anyone who has suffered similar abuse to come forward and speak to us.

“We will always listen to you, take your concerns seriously and protect you from predators like Szwagulinski.”

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A man who went on the run to avoid being arrested for rape has been jailed.

Scott Salisbury attempted to flee after an investigation into accusations of raping a young girl in Coventry.

Salisbury raped the girl, who was a teenager at the time of the offences, on a number of occasions over a four year period.

The matter was reported to us after she bravely told the police her account.

The 39-year-old from Coventry became aware he'd been reported and attempted to evade capture.

Following a 10-day search, officers arrested Salisbury with the help of our Dogs and Drones units in December 2024.

Salisbury was interviewed by officers from our Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) team, providing no comment to the questions put to him.

Our investigation involving helping the female find the right support to empower her to face Salisbury in court.

Now an adult she courageously took to the witness stand at court to provide a personal statement.

Salisbury pleaded guilty to rape and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Salisbury, from the Tile Hill area of Coventry, was sentenced in his absence to 22 years and six months in prison at Warwick Crown Court on 3 July.

He was also given a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order against the woman for life.

She was thanked by the judge in court, who also said Salisbury's absence from court for sentencing was failing to do the one decent thing he could do.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Evie Griffiths, from the Eastern RASSO team, said: "This was a truly horrendous case, and the fact Salisbury went on the run to try and avoid facing up to what he had done speaks volumes.

"Thanks to her bravery in coming forward to tell her story, and put her trust in the police and criminal justice system, we have taken a truly dangerous sex offender off the streets.

"In the RASSO team, we investigate all reports of rape and sexual abuse, no matter how long ago they took place.

"We would encourage anyone who has suffered sex offences to come forward and tell their story."

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A PREDATOR sexually abused an underage girl before storing indecent images of her for his 'perverse pleasure', a court has heard.

William Booth, of Northwich, sexually abused the young girl under the age of 10 over a period of around three years up until 2020.

Chester Crown Court has heard how she told no-one what had happened until she told a therapist in the summer of last year. 

Prosecuting, Ember-Jade Wong read a statement by the now teenager about the psychological impact of the sexual abuse and of the trial process.

The statement said: "From the time of the abuse until recently I did not realise what he was doing was abuse."

The statement added: "I had a month off school because I could not cope. I started self-harming to try to cope."

At the time of the arrest, police seized a phone on which there were indecent images of the young girl, including images from a concealed camera of her getting dressed, getting undressed and going to the toilet.

There were also indecent images of another young girl as well as of an adult woman with a dog.

Booth pleaded guilty to voyeurism as well as making and possessing indecent images, but denied charges of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by touching.

However it took a jury of 12 men and women no longer than an hour to find him guilty following a trial for all of the other offences this year.

Mitigating, Mark Le Brocq said he has no previous convictions and he is no longer a high risk after stopping the sexual abuse several years ago.

Mr Le Brocq said: "There came a time when he asked 'do you like what I am doing?' and she said no.

"He is able to control himself and he has demonstrated this for around five years after the last one."

On Wednesday, July 9, at Chester Crown Court, the 29-year-old was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a three-year extended licence period.

Recorder Philip Grundy said he is to be subject to a restraining order, a sexual harm prevention order and the sex offenders register for life.

Recorder Grundy said: "I considered your manner in court to have sinister undertones."

He added: "You have a preoccupation with sex and you were seeking thrills."

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A sex offender breached a strict court order by speaking to three young girls - while performing an indecent act in his car.

Max Simpkins pulled up alongside them in his blue Mini Cooper and tried to engage the youngsters, aged eight and nine, in conversation. A court heard the incident in Paynes Lane, Feltwell, Norfolk, at about 5.20pm on October 23, was caught on CCTV.

The scared girls carried on walking home and told their parents, who contacted police.

The 29-year-old of Eastwood End, Wimblington, near March, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) by having unsupervised contact with a child under 18.

He was jailed for two years and six months at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (July 4).

Children 'did all the right things'

DC Sonia Kauser said: "Thankfully the CCTV footage not only showed us what Simpkins was doing, it recorded his voice and the words he used when trying to engage the girls.

"The children did all the right things and continued walking together, ignoring him, and returning home, telling their parents immediately what had happened.

"Simpkins offended out of county assuming he wouldn’t be apprehended but it shows how committed we are in managing sex offenders regardless of where the offence took place. I am pleased that he is now behind bars."

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A child sex offender from Sittingbourne who abused his young victim on multiple occasions has been jailed for 13 years.

Aaron Stevens, formerly of Newbridge Avenue, was convicted of 15 offences following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Investigation

Investigators became aware of Stevens’ crimes in May 2018 after it was reported to police that he had boasted of them online.

Stevens was arrested at his home address on 27 May 2018 and, following a complex investigation by specialist detectives from Kent Police, was later charged.

Jailed

He denied all charges against him but, following a unanimous jury verdict, was found guilty of sexual assault of a child; causing a child to engage in sexual activity; attempting to communicate sexually with a child; possession and distribution of indecent images of a child and indecent exposure.

Stevens, 27, was sentenced on Tuesday 8 July 2025 and will spend an additional four years on licence.

He will be subject to notification requirements for the sex offender register for life and was also ordered to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Sergeant Fleur Hardie said:

‘The depravity of Stevens’ actions is appalling and it is right that this manipulative sexual predator is now behind bars. I am also pleased that the SHPO he has been issued will protect against future crimes being committed, restricting the offender’s behaviour to prevent vulnerable people from becoming victims.‘I would like to praise the courage of the young victim in this case and the witnesses whose evidence helped secure Stevens’ conviction and lengthy sentence. We will always strive to bring dangerous sexual offenders before the courts to face justice.’

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A sex offender from Stone has been convicted on a number of counts following a trial.

Shane Davis, 36, of Stone, pleaded not guilty to the offences and went on trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, where the jury deemed him guilty on five counts on Tuesday (8 July).

Davis made forceful advances on the survivors and pressured them into sexual acts against their will. He abused them between 2018 and 2023 until he was reported to us in November 2023.

Investigators worked hard to gather all of the evidence needed to secure charges against him and to support the survivors. Davis was charged with seven offences, including three counts of rape of a woman, three counts of sexual assault of a female and one count of intentional strangulation.

At the end of his trial this week, the jury deemed Davis guilty on five counts, including two counts of rape of a woman and three counts of sexual assault of a female.

Detective Inspector Lewis Haigh, from our rape and serious sexual offences unit (RASSO), said:

"The survivors in this case have shown immense bravery in coming forward and giving evidence in court. They were supported by specialist RASSO investigators, case builders and our partners including Staffordshire Women’s Aid.”

“We’re determined to take robust action against those responsible for sexual offences and violence, abuse and intimidation against women and girls across Staffordshire, and this is another example of that commitment."

Davis will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 10 September 2025.

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Sultan Amjad (20/12/2001) of Kirkmanshulme Lane, Manchester was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for rape. He was also given a five-year restraining order against his victim.

The victim reported several incidents of non-consensual sexual assaults against her which occurred in September 2024.

After the offences were reported, Sultan fled to Ireland where he was then arrested after being circulated as a wanted person.

The victim, whose identity remains anonymous, wants to encourage others to speak out against such abuse.

She said: “There are moments in life that change you forever — moments that challenge everything you thought you knew about strength, courage, and healing. Reporting the rape I experienced was one of those moments; it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, but one that I do not regret, because I was foreseen with no judgment or indifference, but with compassion, professionalism, and unwavering support.

“From the very beginning, Detective Constable Sam Cullen treated me with dignity and respect. In a time when I felt broken, afraid, and unsure of myself, he saw me — not just as a victim, but as a person worthy of being heard, believed, and protected. His patience, his clear communication, and his calm reassurance helped me take the first steps in what felt like an impossible journey.

“The experience I had with the police throughout this process was nothing short of extraordinary. I was kept informed at every stage, treated with care and professionalism, and never once made to feel alone in what I was facing. The updates, the follow-through, the consistent reassurance — all of it helped rebuild a sense of safety and control that I thought I had lost forever.

“DC Cullen, your dedication to my case, your belief in me, and your relentless pursuit of justice made a profound impact on my life. Your strength became my strength, and your support gave me the courage to keep going, even when the emotional toll felt overwhelming. I will never forget the way you stood by me — quietly, consistently, and with immense integrity.

“To your team — those who worked tirelessly in the background — thank you. I know how much unseen effort goes into these cases: the long hours, the careful attention to detail, the emotional weight of the work. Your dedication brought justice into reach, and for that, I am forever grateful. Even one conviction represents something monumental to me — it is proof that my voice mattered.

“This process has been incredibly painful, but because of the care and professionalism shown by you and your team, it has also been healing. You reminded me that I was not alone, that I was not to blame, and that I deserved to be fought for. That kind of support changes lives — it changed mine.”

DC Cullen added: “I would like to thank the victim for their bravery in reporting these incidents to us, which is not an easy thing to do.

“The victim told us she was subjected to an emotionally and physically abusive relationship for some time where she was manipulated financially and degraded by Amjad.

“Time is no barrier when it comes to being sexually abused – no matter how long ago it was, or how old you were at the time, we will listen to you. We will support you, investigate, and act robustly against perpetrators. We will take your allegations seriously and treat you with dignity and respect.”

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A teenager has spoken bravely of the ordeal she suffered, as the man who raped her was sentenced to a total of 24 years in prison.

Carl Houldey, from Tipton, was arrested after we were contacted by the girl alongside members of her family – when she reported that she had been attacked.

Specialist officers carried out extensive enquiries including a sensitive video recorded interview with the girl, interviews of Houldey, forensic analysis of clothing, and analysis of his phone.

He was subsequently charged with four counts of rape and a number of other sexual offences.

However, following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, the 65-year-old was found guilty by a jury and was sentenced on Thursday 3 July to 24 years in prison, with a minimum of 16 years to be served before he is eligible for parole.

Houldey, of Shakespeare Road, was also put on the sex offenders register for life, given a sexual harm prevention order, and a restraining order against the girl he abused.

The girl has been supported by our officers throughout the court process, and as a survivor of sexual assault, has life-long anonymity by law.

In her victim personal statement, which she read from behind a screen in court, she said she wants people to be aware of what she went through: “Before this happened, I used to feel happy and safe. I liked going to school, playing with my friends, and spending time with my family.

“But after what he did, everything changed.

“At the beginning I felt upset and worried about what was going to happen next. I keep wondering if it was my fault, even though people tell me it wasn’t.

“I wish this had never happened to me. I just want to feel normal again.

“I am proud of myself that I told someone about it.

“I’m trying to be strong, even though I don’t feel strong. I have some good friends, and I am going to try and enjoy my life that is now different because of what you did to me.”

Investigating officer, DC Adrian Jackson, from our Public Protection Unit, said:

“Hearing that statement was incredibly powerful.

“By bravely speaking out and explaining what happened to her, a dangerous rapist has been put behind bars.

“She talks of moving forward with her life and that is something we all hope for, as well as knowing that by speaking out she has potentially protected others.

“The girl’s school safeguarding team must be commended for providing invaluable support to her during the investigation.

“For anyone reading this who has suffered abuse – support is available in a number of different places, and we are here for you.”

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A Southampton pensioner has been convicted of indecently assaulting a woman more than 20 years ago.

Former merchant sailor Kenneth Gibb, 92, had faced two charges relating to an incident that occurred at the victim's home in 2003.

Following a trial at Southampton Crown Court, Gibb was cleared of one count of indecent assault but convicted of the other.

The judge, Recorder Donald Tait, ordered a pre-sentence report and the case was adjourned until August 26.

Giving evidence on the first day of the trial, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "I felt his hand on my belly then over my breasts, and I told him to stop."

The woman said the ordeal made her want to "curl up and die".

Gibb, of Butts Road, Southampton, said he went into her bedroom after she asked him to give her a cuddle and "talk dirty" to her, but he denied both the allegations against him.

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A sex offender was only out of prison for a few days before contacting the "vulnerable" victim of one of his previous crimes, a court heard.

Ethan Vickers was made subject of several prohibitions as part of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed when he was jailed in October 2023.

Durham Crown Court was told they included not deleting the internet history on any device, and not using any alias on social media without the approval of his public protection officer.

But in late February this year, shortly after he was released from prison, police learned he had been in contact with a "vulnerable" 17-year-old woman in the area.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said it was the same victim of his offending in 2023, when she was aged 15.

Vickers was expressly told not to contact her when he was released from prison on February 20.

Miss Lamballe said some of the messages sent by Vickers to her in the few days after his release were sexually explicit and he also discussed meeting her.

When police visited his Teesside home address his phone was accessed and inspected and there was no evidence of the chat with the 17-year-old.

It emerged he had deleted the messages, in contravention of the SHPO.

Further analysis revealed he accessed X, formerly Twitter, on February 25, using the name 'Soft Boy 123', an alias he had not made police aware of, also in breach of the SHPO.

Miss Lamballe said other messages uncovered by police were made by other people in conversation with Vickers and related to the abuse of children.

She said the repeated nature of them were indicative of the defendant having been in conversation with these people, suggesting he had deleted his own comments.

When interviewed he made no comment at first but he claimed the messages from the female were old ones from previous chats.

Appearing by video link from HMP Holme House, where he has been on remand, Vickers, who turns 21 on Friday (July 11), and said to be of no fixed abode, admitted two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Miss Lamballe said he has four previous convictions for 15 "all directly relevant" offences.

These included inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, possessing indecent photos of a child, and seeking to meet a girl for sex.

Offences of sexual communication with a child, in breach of a SHPO, led to him receiving a 28-month prison sentence and the further indefinite order, in October 2023.

But in August last year he received a further eight-month sentence for more indecent images offences.

Miss Lamballe added that it was a "significantly aggravating" feature of the case that he was just released on licence at the time of the latest offences and the female involved was the same victim in the earlier offending.

Nicci Horton, in mitigation, said she could not suggest that the defendant should receive anything other than an immediate prison sentence.

"The Probation Service does not feel they can manage his risk in the community.

"It's clear from his pre-sentence (probation) report that he doesn't have the full grasp of why this offending is so serious, but he says the complainant in one count voluntarily engaged with him."

Miss Horton added that the defendant has a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum and is prone to compulsive behaviour.

Judge Jo Kidd told Vickers: "The commission of these offences was within a few days of you being released from prison in circumstances where they were committed on licence and you knew what you were doing was in breach of your SHPO.

"It would appear to have had no deterrent effect on your behaviour, a pattern reflected in your appearances before court in 2023.

"It's clear you have an ongoing interest in viewing images of children and you have a complete disregard for court orders and don't consider they should in any way bound you."

Imposing a further 28-month prison sentence, the judge said it would be an adult prison term, as of Friday this week (July 11).

Judge Kidd said as the victim of his messaging will shortly turn 18 and did not request a restraining order, she would not put such an order in place.

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A paedophile stored dozens of horrific images on his phone, including one of a man having sex with a woman's headless body, a court has heard.

Police found the trove on Lee Hull's device after he was arrested for trying to groom children via phone messages.

Among other images discovered was one of a woman being hanged and another of a hanged woman in her underwear with a breast exposed.

In total, officers found more than 200 indecent images on his handset.

Hull appeared at Norwich Crown Court this week where he was jailed for 32 months for a string of sexual offences.

The hearing was told he was arrested by police after being caught in a sting operation by a paedophile hunter group.

The 54-year-old, of Sussex Street, Norwich, had been communicating online with members of the group, believing they were nine girls all aged between 12 and 14.

The child protection group then went to his city address to confront him, before calling police.

Officers then seized his phone, where they found the images as well as chats and exchanges with the decoys over the course of four months, from December 2022 to March 2023.

Ian James, prosecuting, said Hull had started with innocent chats which were "preparatory to making sexual advances".

He said Hull, who stayed "silent" about his age, sent images of pets and cars in an attempt to groom his targets.

He then sent pictures and videos of male genitals as well as "graphic chat" involving what he wanted to do sexually to the girls.

Of the 200 indecent images on his phone, 62 were category A - the most serious.

Mr James said the youngest victim depicted in the images appeared to be around 18 months old with the youngest victim of the category A images understood to be three.

Hull admitted nine counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and three offences of making indecent images of children as well as possessing extreme pornographic images.

Judge Andrew Shaw said he was a dangerous offender who posed a risk to the public.
"It doesn't really matter that the people who you were attempting to contact weren't in fact children," he said.

"The details of what you said to them and what you wanted them to do are frankly disgusting."

Stephen Spence, mitigating, said Hull was a "sad and isolated" individual and had been "seeking to engage his fantasies" in the messages he had sent.

Hull was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A man who was found guilty of rape has been jailed for seven years and three months.

Francesco Aria assaulted the woman at his Newark-based home in the early hours of 22 August 2021.

The victim was able to escape the address and bravely reported the incident to police immediately.

When the 30-year-old was arrested and interviewed by detectives, Aria claimed to have had consensual sex with her.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court, however, disagreed and found Aria guilty of rape after a three-day trial in June (2025).

Appearing at the same court for his sentencing on Monday (7 July), after a nearly four-year wait for the victim, Aria, previously of Massey Court, Newark, was jailed for seven years and three months.

He was also handed an indefinite restraining order, which forbids him from contacting the victim, and was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Detective Constable Donna Elliott, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Aria’s actions were appalling, and unsurprisingly this incident has had a very considerable impact on the victim’s life.

“She has shown emormous courage in coming forward and immense patience as this trial reached the courts.

“I hope this result empowers other survivors of rape or sexual abuse to feel able to report what happened to them.

“We have specially trained officers who specialise in helping people to report sexual offences and support them through the process.”