Smiling rapist arrested in shower after attacking vulnerable woman he met on night out
Benjamin Wilson exploited a vulnerable and intoxicated woman
A rapist who smiled when police took his custody photo will spend the next decade behind bars after assaulting a woman he met on a night out.
Benjamin Wilson, of Norwood Avenue, Chesterfield, was arrested after Greater Manchester Police carried out a detailed investigation when his victim came forward to report the crimes he perpetrated.
Officers described the victim - who is granted lifelong anonymity - as ‘extremely vulnerable and intoxicated’ at the time of the assault in June 2022.
The victim had gone on a night out with friends in Manchester, however, she became separated from them and was later subjected to a serious sexual assault.
During the evening, the victim and her friend believed their drinks had been tampered with and she later found herself alone, heavily intoxicated, and extremely vulnerable.
She encountered Wilson near a takeaway, where he took advantage of the situation, guiding her into a taxi before repeatedly raping her at a flat in Manchester.
Video footage of Wilson’s arrest shows officers asking the 36-year-old to get out of the shower.
He leaves the bathroom with a towel around his waist and is told he is being arrested on suspicion of rape, to which he replies ‘what?’.
The victim experienced serious trauma, compounded by previous medical PTSD, and officers worked closely with the victim’s parents and a trusted colleague to identify Wilson despite significant challenges including limited early forensic opportunities.
Police say they put hundreds of hours of work into analysing witness accounts, financial and phone data, intelligence checks, and overcoming cross-force barriers to make the arrest in Derbyshire.
Their work has seen Wilson be sentenced to 10 and a half years imprisonment, after being found guilty of three counts of rape and false imprisonment.
DC Phillip Sargeant said: “I am awestruck not only by the courage of the victim in coming forward, but also by her patience and resilience in waiting for justice.
“The impact on her, her family and her support network has been profound. I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of closure and enables them to move on from this traumatic experience.
“We have worked hard to support her throughout, allowing her to guide the pace of the investigation and how she engaged with the process.
“I hope this case reassures others that they will be taken seriously and supported sensitively by Greater Manchester Police, no matter how long it takes.”