A 38-year-old man from Yeovil has been jailed for four years and three months after being convicted of raping a woman he met through a dating app.
Leon Walker was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on Friday 11 September, after a jury found him guilty in July. The offence took place in 2023, when Walker arranged to meet the woman at her home.
Avon and Somerset Police said the pair had earlier had consensual sex, but Walker then raped the woman. She reported what had happened to police, prompting an investigation by the force’s rape and serious sexual offences team, Operation Bluestone.
Trial and sentence
Walker denied the offence and pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape. He claimed the sexual activity had been consensual. The jury convicted him of one count of rape and acquitted him of the other two.
The sentence handed down at Taunton Crown Court was four years and three months in prison. The police statement said Walker had been jailed for “more than four years”.
Victim’s statement
At the sentencing hearing, the victim’s personal statement described the effect the incident had on her confidence and willingness to meet people.
“Before this happened I was an open and trusting person, however this incident also left me not being able to trust people as I used to. “I had to rebuild my confidence in meeting new people and became far more sceptical and wary of people than I previously had been, “For a while after I avoided dating and meeting new people altogether. When I was eventually able to meet new people, I found myself to be on higher alert and more cautious than I previously needed to be.”
PC Jake Whatley, the investigating officer, said the conviction reflected the victim’s courage in reporting the offence and supporting the investigation.
“This conviction reflects the courage and determination shown by the victim in reporting the offence and supporting the investigation throughout. “It also serves as an important reminder that consent can be withdrawn at any time. “Being in a consensual relationship, or consenting to one sexual act, does not mean a person has consented to every other sexual act. “Everyone has the right to say no, and that decision must be respected.”
Support for victims
Avon and Somerset Police said support is available to victims of rape or sexual assault whether or not they choose to report an incident to police. It said support organisations will not make someone report an assault if they do not want to.
The force listed The Bridge, which also provides sexual healthcare, and Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support, known as SARSAS, as local organisations offering free and confidential services to people affected by rape and sexual assault at any time in their life.
People can also use the NHS website to find a rape and sexual assault referral centre, self-refer, obtain support and guidance, and book an appointment at the nearest centre. Police said an assault can still be reported and investigated even if the victim has already received counselling.