Rapist who targeted teen is jailed

A man who plied a teenage girl with vodka before raping her has been jailed for more than nine years. 

Sajeenthira Dharmendra, 24, met the 17-year-old on an online chat platform and arranged to meet her in St Neots on 11 October last year.

The victim, who was nervous about getting into his car, asked him to empty his pockets and checked the boot.

Once reassured, she got into his car, and they drove to a shop where he brought alcohol and a vape.

Dharmendra poured vodka into a bottle of cola and pressurised the teenager into drinking large gulps and told her she would be “wasting his time” if she didn’t.

After driving to the Riverside Car Park, Dharmendra sexually assaulted the victim, and she told him to stop.

But he made her drink more alcohol, resulting in her passing out.

When she came to, the victim realised the bottom half of her clothes had been stripped off.

She had no recollection of what had happened, but she felt pain.

The pair fell asleep in the car, and upon waking in the early hours of the next day, the victim unlocked Dharmendra’s phone and was horrified to learn he had filmed himself sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious.

The victim forwarded the video on to another phone, so she had a record of what he had done.

After he woke up, Dharmendra dropped the victim off in the town where she fled to a friend’s house and called the police.

Dharmendra was later arrested at his Essex home, 75 miles away.

Following a trial last month, Dharmendra, of Springfield Mews, Mill Road, Aveley, near South Ockendon, was found guilty of rape and assaulting a female 13 and over by penetration with part of a body/thing.

He pleaded guilty to voyeurism and make indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child.

Yesterday (8 October), at Cambridge Crown Court, Dharmendra was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Hurst said Dharmendra deliberately had made the victim drink a large amount of alcohol with the intention of having sex with her – regardless of whether it was consensual.

“Everything that followed made it clear that she was only 17 - much younger than you,” he said. “Your sole, single-minded purpose was for sexual intercourse. You planned to buy alcohol to get her drunk. You were sober.

“You were responsible for this girl who was very drunk, late at night, in the back of your car. What you should have done was decide that she was far too drunk and take her home. Instead, you raped her.”

DC James Collinwood, who investigated, said: “I would like to praise the victim for not only reporting what had happened, but having the foresight to secure evidence by sending the video on. She has shown tremendous strength and bravery during the investigation and trial.

“I hope it gives confidence to other victims to come forward, knowing they will be listened to, and the police and wider criminal justice system will do everything they can to get justice for them.”

For information and support concerning sexual offences visit Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s website.