PETERBOROUGH MAN JAILED FOR RAPING VULNERABLE WOMEN IN GUESTHOUSE

A man named Ricky Lee, aged 65, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting women staying at Eastfield Guesthouse in Eastfield Road, Peterborough. Lee had keys to every room at the guesthouse where victims, including some vulnerable women with drink and drug dependencies, were housed. According to police reports, in 2022, he assaulted one woman twice within hours of her being placed in the guesthouse by a local authority. Lee denied charges of two counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault but was found guilty by a jury at Cambridge Crown Court. Cambridgeshire Police revealed that Lee had been living at the guesthouse himself and later became a handyman, performing odd jobs in exchange for lodging outside in a caravan. The judge, Andrew Hurst, emphasized the negligence of management in giving Lee access to vulnerable individuals, stating, "It is inconceivable management gave you the responsibility they did, especially access to vulnerable people. A long sentence is needed to keep the public safe." Det Ch Insp Amerjit Singh accused Lee of exploiting women with dependency issues and using threats of violence to silence them, which prevented many victims from reporting their experiences. The sentence includes an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and Lee was also ordered to register with police under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.