A man who raped a teenager after forcing her to drink large amounts of vodka has been jailed for more than nine years.
Sajeenthira Dharmendra, 24, was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of rape and assault by penetration following a trial last month.
The court heard Dharmendra met his 17-year-old victim on an online chat platform in October last year and arranged to meet her in St Neots on 11 October. The teenager, who felt nervous about getting into his vehicle, asked him to empty his pockets and checked the boot before agreeing to go with him.
After driving to a shop to buy alcohol and a vape, Dharmendra mixed vodka with cola and pressured the victim into drinking large gulps, telling her she would be “wasting his time” if she refused. He then drove to Riverside Car Park where he sexually assaulted her despite being told to stop.
The victim was made to drink more alcohol until she passed out. When she regained consciousness, she discovered the lower half of her clothing had been removed and felt pain, but had no memory of what had occurred.
Both fell asleep in the car, and in the early hours of the following morning, the victim unlocked Dharmendra’s phone. She was horrified to discover he had filmed himself sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious. The victim forwarded the video to another device to preserve evidence of the attack.
After Dharmendra woke and dropped her off in the town, the victim fled to a friend’s house and immediately contacted police. Dharmendra was subsequently arrested at his home in Essex, 75 miles away.
Sentencing Judge Andrew Hurst told Dharmendra he had deliberately made the victim drink excessive amounts of alcohol with the intention of having sex with her, regardless of consent.
“Everything that followed made it clear that she was only 17 – much younger than you,” he said. “Your sole, single-minded purpose was for sexual intercourse. You planned to buy alcohol to get her drunk. You were sober.
“You were responsible for this girl who was very drunk, late at night, in the back of your car. What you should have done was decide that she was far too drunk and take her home. Instead, you raped her.”
Dharmendra, of Springfield Mews, Mill Road, Aveley, near South Ockendon, was found guilty of rape and assaulting a female aged 13 and over by penetration with part of a body or thing. He had pleaded guilty to voyeurism and making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child.
He was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison and placed on the Sex Offenders Register on 8 October.
DC James Collinwood, who investigated the case, said: “I would like to praise the victim for not only reporting what had happened, but having the foresight to secure evidence by sending the video on. She has shown tremendous strength and bravery during the investigation and trial.
“I hope it gives confidence to other victims to come forward, knowing they will be listened to, and the police and wider criminal justice system will do everything they can to get justice for them.”
Source: Cambridgeshire Constabulary