Lancashire man jailed for heinous rape of teenage girl

A teenage girl, aged 17 at the time, was attacked and raped by Lewis Watson in January in Burnley after he approached her while she was walking to a bus stop. Watson, 30 years old and from Preston, sexually assaulted and raped her in two locations after initially talking to her and lying about his age, claiming to be 23 when he was actually 30. During the incident, he suggested they find shelter from the rain under a shop's overhang, where he continued his assault, and then guided her to a second location for further assault. The victim expressed that she is "scarred for life" and suffers flashbacks, unable to sleep or trust people. Watson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 11 years in prison with an additional eight years on license at Burnley Crown Court. Lancashire Police described the victim as an innocent child walking to a bus station and emphasized her bravery in proceedings, hoping she can now begin to heal.