Locations
Stickens Lane, West Malling, Kent, ME19
Description
An East Malling man has been jailed after he was found guilty of raping a woman who had passed out following a night out in a pub.
Steven Moore exploited and abused his vulnerable victim after they left the premises and he took her to a nearby residential property.
The incident happened in 2017 and was reported to Kent Police in March 2023, when Moore was arrested.
Intoxicated and confused
An investigation established that prior to the rape, the woman had previously engaged in small talk with Moore who was acquainted with someone she knew.
During an evening between November and December 2017, the victim encountered him at the (former) Rising Sun pub in Mill Street.
They consumed several drinks and she became intoxicated and confused. The victim recalled that after accompanying Moore to a different property she blacked out and woke up to find him raping her.
Moore, now 67, of Stickens Lane, East Malling was charged with rape and pleaded not guilty. A trial was held at Maidstone Crown Court and a jury convicted him by unanimous verdict.
On 7 November 2025, Moore was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment.
Never too late to report abuse
Detective Sergeant Mike Williams said:
‘Steven Moore deliberately targeted a vulnerable woman, exploiting her trust and intoxicated state to subject her to a truly horrific ordeal.
'His actions were clearly calculated and the impact on the victim has been profound. She has found it difficult to come forward but her tremendous courage has now thankfully ensured Moore has faced justice.
‘We know how difficult it can be for victims of sexual abuse to report such abhorrent and damaging offences, especially when so much time has passed. I hope this case demonstrates that no matter when offences have happened you will always be listened to, believed and supported.’