Horror as young man raped 4 underage girls leaving one pregnant | UK | News

A man has been jailed for a series of rapes and sexual assaults on four girls; One of the victims was forced to have an abortion following her ordeal. Jack Westlake, of California Gardens in Plymouth, stood trial at Plymouth Crown Court on a total of eight charges involving four girls who were under 16 at the time.

Westlake, now 21, was found guilty on all eight charges, which included multiple counts of rape and sexual intercourse with a child. Judge Matthew Turner told Westlake at a sentencing hearing today that although he was under 21 at the time of the offences, he targeted young and vulnerable girls, often first contacting them via social media and then arranging to meet them in isolated locations where he raped and sexually assaulted them.

He told Westlake that his crime caused the girls’ education and emotional impact “for years to come.”

Prolific abuser Westlake was found guilty of raping a girl under the age of 16 on August 26, 2021, and another sexual assault by penetration of the same girl the same day.

He was found guilty of a further six counts of rape and assault on girls under 16 over three years; One of the attacks took place in a playground in Plymouth.

Judge Turner emphasized that Westlake raped a 14-year-old girl when she was 17 and that the girl became pregnant as a result.

The jury heard the girl was forced to seek dismissal as a result.

In her victim impact statement, the court heard how she had lost the trust of her family, struggled to trust others, had difficulty eating and her behavior at school had worsened.

Judge Turner said the impact of being dismissed at such a young age was “significant”.

It said Westlake’s offending breached a two-year Sexual Risk Order imposed on him by the Magistrates’ Court in November 2023, preventing him from contacting or communicating with any female under 16, and requested that he warn his superior about any new mobile phone he had seized.

Judge Turner said each girl was particularly vulnerable because of their youth.

He said he had obtained a pre-sentence and psychiatric report on Westlake, citing the important mitigating factor that he was 16 and 17 at the time of the offenses and that he had no previous convictions.

He stated that Westlake had an “unstable” upbringing, being placed in foster care at age 14, having no meaningful relationship with his father, having an unstable education, and having to be sent to a school for children with behavioral problems.

Judge Turner said although he considered Westlake to be dangerous under the provisions of the Criminal Code, he posed a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public through the commission of other specified offences, which did not warrant an extended sentence, but felt a “prolonged specific sentence” would be imposed.

She said she considered this because Westlake had befriended each of the girls on social media, finding girls younger than himself, pressuring them and luring them to isolated locations where he would sexually assault them, ignoring their pleas to stop and establishing a “degree of control” over them.

Judge Turner also noted that Westlake had committed some of the offenses before the police and the court even while he was on bail and subject to a court order to prevent his sexual offending.

Taking into account all aggravating and mitigating factors, Judge Turner sentenced Westlake to a total of nine years in prison.

He said Westlake will remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and must pay a victim surcharge of £190.

Following the sentencing, Devon and Cornwall Police described Westlake, 21, as a “dangerous offender”.

The spokesman said: “It is hoped that today’s sentencing will provide Jack Westlake’s victims with some closure after the ordeal they have had to endure.

“Westlake is a dangerous criminal who carefully targeted his victims on social media and arranged to meet them. He isolated them in order to carry out his numerous and serious attacks, which were reflected in his convictions.

“The investigation involved a number of different investigating officers and staff, as well as specialist support and liaison officers. This is an important example of how our officers and staff are working closely together to bring these matters to the courts and achieve justice for the victims who entrusted us with their reports.