A « dangerous sexual predator” has been jailed for 10 years after locking a teenage girl in a toilet and raping her. Chiemka Okoronta, 29, who is originally from Nigeria, was on a bus with his victim on March 25 when it terminated early in Morley, Leeds, leaving her stranded as her phone battery had died.
Postgraduate student Okoronta offered to share a taxi with the 17-year-old girl to Bradford bus station, but instead booked the cab to his flat, where he attacked her, Bradford Crown Court heard. The prosecution said the victim gave Okoronta her remaining money — £4.90 — to contribute to the fare and while in the taxi, Okoronta “chose to sit in the back with her and began making kissing gestures at her”.
The court heard Okoronta, of Morley Street, Bradford, then persuaded the victim to go inside, where he then locked her inside a toilet and attacked her.
After the attack, the girl managed to run and get help from passers-by who gave her their phone to call 999.
Okoronta was found guilty of three counts of rape and causing a woman over 16 or over to engage in sexual activity after a trial earlier this year.
On Monday, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison with three years on an extended licence.
Judge Sophie McKone said Okoronta was a “dangerous sexual predator”.
She told him: “You knew she was a vulnerable person, miles from where she needed to be. You knew she needed to get to Bradford. She was 17 and had little money and her phone was dead. I’m satisfied when you asked her to share a taxi you formulated a plan to get her back to your address where you could rape her.
« This was a sustained incident. The complainant was clearly very vulnerable. »
In a victim statement read out in court, the girl said: “This incident has turned my life upside down. I have flashbacks of what happened to me, I have nightmares.
“One minute I feel fine and the next minute it all comes back, I get upset and then frustrated and angered by what’s happened.
“I would miss arrangements to meet friends. I usually stay in my room and avoid talking to people. I still don’t like leaving my room at all.
“When I was told he was found guilty, I felt a sense of relief knowing that this person wouldn’t be able to do the same thing he did with me to anyone else.”
Detective Constable Sue Sutcliffe, from West Yorkshire Police, said Okoronta “took advantage of his victim and lured her to his home forcing her to engage in sexual activity”,
She added: “I would like to commend the victim in this case for her immense bravery in coming forward straight away to report this horrific crime.”
The court heard Okoronta will likely be deported following his sentence and must register as a sex offender for life.
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