A Nigerian postgraduate student living in the United Kingdom, Chiemka Okoronta, is set to be deported after serving a 10-year prison sentence for raping a teenage girl in West Yorkshire.
According to a report by the BBC on Monday, the 29-year-old committed the offence after the teenager became stranded on a night bus in Morley, Leeds, while both were returning home to Bradford on March 25.
Court documents revealed that Okoronta tricked the victim into sharing a taxi with him before luring her into his accommodation and assaulting her in a locked toilet.
The prosecution told the Bradford Crown Court that the teenager’s phone battery had died after she got off the bus, prompting Okoronta to offer her a ride.
However, instead of heading to Bradford Interchange as promised, the taxi diverted to his flat, where he persuaded her to come inside before locking her in and attacking her.
After the assault, the victim managed to escape, stopped a passerby, and used their phone to contact the police.
Delivering judgment, Judge Sophie McKone described Okoronta as a “dangerous sexual predator,” noting that he had premeditated the attack.
“I am satisfied that when you asked if she wanted to share your taxi to Bradford, you had already formulated a plan to get her back to your flat, where you could rape her,” the judge said.
“You concocted a reason for her to come into your flat. You are, I am clear, a dangerous sexual predator,” McKone added.
The court ordered that Okoronta, originally from Nigeria, serve an additional three years on an extended licence after his jail term.
He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for life and deported upon completion of his sentence.
In a victim impact statement read before the court, the teenager 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, it all comes back.”
Detective Constable Sue Sutcliffe of the West Yorkshire Police praised the survivor for her courage in coming forward.
“I would like to commend the victim for her immense bravery in reporting this horrific crime straight away. I urge anyone who has suffered sexual abuse to report it to us so that we can take appropriate action,” Sutcliffe said.
