DONCASTER MAN JAILED FOR PREDATORY SEXUAL OFFENCES INCLUDING RAPE AND ABUSE OF TEENAGERS
In 2022, a young woman was sexually assaulted by Rhys Maughan after a night out, and he later deceived two teenage girls about his age to abuse them.The Sheffield Crown Court was informed that Maughan, 21 at the time, targeted his first victim after an evening out.
She awoke during the night to find him raping her and has since been left with ongoing trauma, nightmares, and a fear of physical contact.
Prosecutor Rebecca Stevens announced that the woman reported the incident to police in February 2023, resulting in Maughan's arrest.
While on bail for this offence, he went on to pursue two teenage girls in Sheffield.
The first girl revealed that Maughan had added her on Snapchat, and they exchanged messages before he started meeting her and going out in his car with a friend.
She described frequent visits to her house around 11 pm, where they would watch TV into the early hours.
In March of the previous year, the two had sex, with Maughan claiming he was 18, though subsequent discovery showed he was actually 21.
The girl was shocked upon finding out, after seeing a Facebook post wishing him a happy 21st birthday, which led to an apology from him.
Despite the deception, she continued to see him, with her mother meeting Maughan, who said he was 16.
Their relationship involved ongoing sexual activity, including requests for explicit images.
In a separate incident, Maughan falsely claimed he was 15 to a second teenage girl, whose age was clearly shown on her Snapchat profile.
One night, she left home to meet him in his car, drank water he offered, which made her feel drowsy, and then lay down to sleep.
She reported feeling tired, shaky, and having blurred vision.
He invited her to sleep in the back of the car, asked for a cuddle, and they kissed before he assaulted her.
She later discovered his true age through a social media post and reported the incident to help-seeking services.
When arrested in April 2023, authorities found evidence on his phone linking him to the first victim and indecent images of children.
During interrogation, Maughan contested some details, claiming the second girl said she was 18 and that their intimacy was consensual, denying filming her and claiming it was her idea.
He also contradicted his previous statements regarding the first girl and the images.
Maughan pleaded guilty to charges including rape, sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child, and possessing indecent images.
The court heard emotional victim statements, with the woman he assaulted describing how her mental health has suffered, with depression, anxiety, nightmares, and fear affecting her daily life and relationships.
Another girl expressed her regret and fear for future trust in relationships, emphasizing her wish to prevent similar harm.
Defence barrister James Baird acknowledged Maughan's serious mistake, stating he was training to be a prison officer but had since been suspended and lost his role.
Baird presented a letter of remorse and references, including from a family doctor, noting that his sleep disturbances and social rejection contributed to his behaviour, although they were not excuses.
The judge, His Honour Judge Slater, sentenced Maughan to nine and a half years in prison, highlighting manipulative conduct, and imposed a sexual harm prevention order and restraining order to be in place until further notice.
