A 29-year-old Nigerian post-graduate student Chiemka Okoronta, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a 17- year- old girl who was stranded after a night bus service ended unexpectedly in Morley, Leeds with both requiring transport home to Bradford on 25 March.
According to reports from Bradford Crown Court, the 29-year-old postgraduate student tricked her into sharing a taxi before luring her into his accommodation and attacking her in a locked toilet, Bradford Crown Court heard.
Okoronta, who was convicted of multiple rape offences, was told he was likely to be deported following his sentence.
Okoronta, originally from Nigeria, must also serve three years on extended licence and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The court heard the teenager’s phone died after alighting the bus, with Okoronta offering to share a taxi to Bradford Interchange.
Prosecutor Graham O’Sullivan said the vehicle instead went to the defendant’s flat, with the teenager persuaded to go inside and subsequently locked inside a toilet.
Following the attack, the girl stopped a passer-by outside and use their phone to call police. In a victim impact statement read out in court, the girl said: “This incident has turned my life upside down.
“I have flashbacks of what happened to me, I have nightmares – one minute I feel fine and the next minute it all comes back.”
Judge Sophie McKone told Okoronta: “I am satisfied that when you asked if she wanted to share your taxi to Bradford you formulated a plan that would get her back to your flat where you could rape her.
“You concocted a reason for her to come into your flat.”
She added: “You are, I am clear, a dangerous sexual predator.”
Det Con Sue Sutcliffe, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “I would like to commend the victim in this case for her immense bravery in coming forward straight away to report this horrific crime.
“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence, to please report it to us so we can take action.”
