BRADFORD MAN JAILED FOR GROOMING AND RAPING YOUNG GIRL IN PEEL PARK
A sexual predator who groomed a young girl and lured her to a park to rape her has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.Bradford Crown Court heard that Rajae Paul adopted a false identity on social media, pretending to be a 16-year-old named "Jason" to gain the girl's trust.
Prosecutor Brian Russell explained that after manipulating her online, Paul pressured her into taking a train to Bradford to meet him in person.
Following their meeting at Peel Park, he led her to an isolated spot where he proceeded to rape her twice.
During the assault, Paul confiscated her mobile phone because she had started recording him, but he deleted videos and images and even hit her.
After the incident, he returned her to the railway station by taxi.
Paul was convicted of two counts of rape after a trial in August.
He was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and the judge noted that his actions were predatory, violent, and deliberate, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers that can lurk behind a computer screen where predators target the vulnerable.
The victim told the court about the "devastating impact" the assault had on her life, describing her trauma as affecting "every part of my life." The court acknowledged that Paul had no previous convictions and was a young man at the time, lacking maturity, but condemned his predatory behavior.
Judge Nadim sentenced him to 13 years, with an order to impose a 25-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The case was also supported by Bradford District Safeguarding Unit, emphasizing the bravery of the victim in coming forward and the importance of support for victims of sexual offences.
