Man jailed following investigation into sexual offending

An investigation by the Met’s Public Protection team has resulted in a lengthy sentence for a man who was convicted of a sex offence.

Laurence Rafter, 43 (01.09.81) of Bittacy Hill, Barnet appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 28 February where he was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, after officers were able to prove that he had removed a condom during sex without consent.

He was convicted at the same court on 18 October 2024 for all offences in a unanimous verdict by the jury. He also pleaded guilty last year to harassment against the same victim.

The court heard that on 15 July 2021 the 32-year-old survivor was contacted by the defendant on a dating app. He posed as a man called "Jay Lincoln" and met the victim at her home address in Islington. The defendant then proceeded to rape the victim who specifically requested the defendant wear a condom, despite him repeatedly requesting not to wear one.

As he left the address he stated that he was HIV Positive which was later revealed to be a lie. The victim reported the incident to the Met who launched an immediate investigation and supported the victim.

Detectives from the Public Protection Serious Sexual Offences Team were able to identify Rafter through a distinctive tattoo on his arm recorded by police on a previous arrest which matched photos he had sent to the victim in this case.

Enquiries showed the level of pre-planning that Rafter had done to commit his offences, creating an alias, setting up a false address and bank statement and using a disposable ‘pre-paid’ mobile phone in a bid to avoid police detection.

His false driving licence included a pseudonym and he claimed to live in a prosperous area of London in a multi-million pound house. In reality he was employed as an HGV driver and lived in a flat.

The court also heard that the defendant was previously known for sexual predatory behaviour towards women. In February 2022 he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to malicious communications and threats to disclose a private image relating to two separate victims. In those cases he also posed online using an alias, met the women and subsequently became abusive and threatening towards both women via text messages as well as demanding explicit images.

After appearing in court on Friday, 28 February, Rafter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was ordered to serve two thirds of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Ridley said: “I would like to commend this survivor for the bravery she demonstrated in this case and the evidence she provided. The robust sentence delivered by the judge clearly demonstrates the significant dangerousness that this man poses to women.

“The investigation team carried out an expansive, diligent and relentless investigation to identify Rafter and secured the evidence to bring him to justice ensuring that the victim was supported throughout.

“Rafter is a predatory offender who exploited social media to facilitate his violent and abusive behaviour. He devised a fictitious profile posing as a wealthy businessman with multiple businesses around the world in a calculated campaign to violate, threaten and harm the women he met.”

The Met is putting extra people into specialist Public Protection teams to prioritise this critical work and target offenders, with officers and staff working more closely with partners across London to protect victim survivors and bring offenders to justice.   

Police are aiming to do much more to identify and tackle the most dangerous and prolific perpetrators of Violence Against Women and Girls, identifying high risk and high harm locations, and making better use of police powers to protect women and girls from perpetrators.  

Find out more on how to report a rape or sexual assault here. Always call 999 in an emergency.   

If you’ve been a victim of rape or sexual assault, charities and support agencies can offer help and guidance: 

Rape Crisis: 08085002222   

National Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline: 0808 802 9999    

Survivors UK: 0203 598 3898 info@survivorsuk.org.   

Samaritans: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org