Man jailed for life after assaulting and raping a teenage girl

A man who hit a teenage girl over the head before dragging her into some bushes and raping her has been jailed for life.

Appearing before Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday, 16 December, William Trotter, 39 (01.02.81) of Dagonet Road, Bromley was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 12 years.

Trotter had previously been found guilty of rape and kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence following a 12-day trial at the same court. He was jailed for eight years for the kidnap, to run concurrently. He is also to remain on licence and on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Detective Constable Penelope Rea, the investigating officer, said: “The victim, a young woman, has been through a terrible ordeal and continues to show strength and courage. While nothing will ever take away the trauma of what happened I hope that the sentence handed down today can begin to help her close this chapter of her life.

“Trotter is a dangerous sexual offender who has been taken off the streets thanks to a number of organisations working together to identify and ultimately apprehend Trotter. We are grateful to Police Scotland for their assistance and to TfL in providing valuable evidence that has helped secure this conviction.

“This case serves to highlight our dedication to apprehending sexual predators and bringing them to justice.”

Judge Elizabeth Lowe at Croydon Crown Court commented that the immediate impact of watching the CCTV relating to the offence was horrific and that he had haunted his young victim’s life and had a massive impact on her personal circumstances. She added that he had demonstrated no remorse and put everyone unnecessarily through a trial despite overwhelming evidence against him.

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