A Nigerian postgraduate student, Chiemeka Okoronta, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with an additional three years on extended licence, for raping a 17-year-old girl in Bradford, United Kingdom. The 29-year-old will also be required to register as a sex offender for life and is likely to be deported to Nigeria following his sentence.
The incident occurred on 25 March when both Okoronta and the teenager were stranded after a night bus service was unexpectedly terminated in Morley, Leeds. With the girl’s phone dead, Okoronta offered to share a taxi to Bradford but instead took her to his flat. Bradford Crown Court heard that he lured her inside and attacked her in a locked toilet. After the assault, the teenager sought help from a passer-by and used their phone to contact police.
During sentencing, Judge Sophie McKone described Okoronta as a “dangerous s3xual predator” and said he had planned the attack from the moment he offered the taxi. Prosecutor Graham O’Sullivan outlined how Okoronta manipulated the situation to get the girl to his flat.
In a victim impact statement read in court, the teenager said the attack had “turned my life upside down,” leaving her with flashbacks and nightmares.
Detective Constable Sue Sutcliffe of West Yorkshire Police praised the victim for her bravery and urged others who have experienced sexual offences to report them so that action can be taken.
