A 23-year-old man has been jailed for seven years for raping a woman he met on social media.
Ryan Neale, of Lingmoor Way, Carlisle, was sentenced today at Carlisle Crown Court following a guilty plea to rape.
In late 2021 Neale met a woman on social media, and they got on well. As time went on, they exchanged sexual images before arranging to meet up in October of that year.
Before the meeting, the woman searched for Neale on Facebook and noticed he looked younger than she thought, and she decided to cancel the meeting.
Neale began threatening the woman saying she would have to pay him £100 or have sex with him. If she didn’t, he would share the sexual images on social media. Despite her protests, Neale demanded she choose an option.
The woman was terrified of the images being released, she had no money and so she reluctantly agreed to meet Neale and they had sex. It was clear that the woman did not consent to the sexual contact and had only agreed to meet him due to his threats.
Later that same night Neale contacted her again and demanded money. The woman contacted the police.
Upon arrest, Neale accepted that he had met with the woman but denied that he had raped her. However, he went on to plead guilty to rape on the full facts of the prosecution case.
The court heard the profound impact this offence had had on the woman, before sentencing Neale to seven years and seven months imprisonment. The court also issued him with an indefinite Restraining Order and he must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Brett Gerrity, senior crown prosecutor for CPS North West’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Unit, said: “Ryan Neale, who threatened and raped the woman in pursuit of his own sexual gratification, initially denied any wrongdoing. However, we worked closely with police to build a robust case and he has now admitted responsibility for his actions.
“I would like to commend this brave woman for coming forward and speaking about what happened to her. I hope she can now start to rebuild her life.
“I hope her courage will encourage other survivors to come forward and seek justice.”
Detective Constable Hein Van Der Westhuizen was the officer overseeing the case.
Speaking after the sentencing, he said: “Neale is an evil man who failed to accept any responsibility for what he did until the very end.
“He lied, hid from police and was deceitful throughout. This was a terrible ordeal for this woman and the threats made placed her under extreme stress.
“I want to thank her for coming forward and commend her bravery, courage and support for the investigation throughout this extremely difficult, life-changing process.
“All crimes such as this are treated seriously and with sensitivity. We understand that not everybody who has suffered sexual assault or rape wants a police investigation or to go court.
“It is really important that everyone knows that there are support services available should they need them, whether or not there is a criminal investigation.
“If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault, we would always encourage you to report it to police, so that we can ensure you are put in contact with the appropriate support service.
“Your report will be taken seriously and investigated by specialist officers should you wish.”
