Rapist who attacked schoolgirl aged 12 is jailed for 21 years

Ayden Thompson, of Great Bridge, groomed his victims, who also included a homeless girl to whom he offered shelter for the night, a court heard.

Sentencing him, Judge Nicholas Webb told Thompson: “You present a significant danger to young women.”

The 21-year-old ‘charmed and flattered’ his youngest victim on social media just before her 13th birthday, when he was 17, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

She described him as her ‘first first real boyfriend’.

But he persuaded her to engage in sexual activity with him, which made her feel ‘down’ about herself and she began to self-harm, said Mr Matthew Brook, prosecuting.

Deciding to end the relationship, she agreed to meet Thompson on wasteground near her home where he raped her, the court heard.

He offered his next victim, a homeless young woman, shelter for the night. She made it clear she did not want to have sex with him but in the morning he raped her three times, said Mr Brooks.

He was in a relationship with his third victim but his involvement with other women on social media ‘annoyed’ her and led to an estrangement.

She arranged to go to his home to collect her belongings but on arriving at the property, he raped her twice.

In an impact statement, she said Thompson had ruined her life and that she needed to drink alcohol at night to get to sleep ‘hoping not to wake up.’

Mr Mohammed Hafeez, defending, said Thompson had difficulties with anger management since he was 12 years old for which he had received psychiatric help. But he continued to display violence both at home and in the classroom and, in 2011, he was excluded from school.

He was in foster care ‘and clearly a troubled young man himself’ when he raped the 12-year-old girl, said Mr Hafeez.

Thompson, of Fisher Street, Great Bridge, pleaded guilty to six counts of rape and one of inciting a girl to sexual activity.

Passing sentence, Judge Webb told him: “You have no insight into what you did. I believe you were motivated by a high level of anger and pose a high risk of further offending.”

Thompson was told he must serve at least two-thirds of his 21-year term and would be on licence for seven years on his release. He was put on the sex offenders’ register for life.