Sex offender flouted Hessle Road ban while dressed as a woman
MAN GUILTY OF BREACHING SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER
A PROLIFIC Hull sex offender posed as a woman while scouring for prostitutes in Hessle Road, just days after being banned from visiting the street.
Richard Raper, 42, of Kilnsea Grove, Hull, has several previous convictions for attacking women and was found in breach of a sexual harm prevention order.
The order was put in place as Raper has ten convictions for 13 offences, including indecent assault on females over the age of 16 and indecent exposure in relation to a sex worker.
He had also previously indecently exposed himself at a care home and an indecent assault on a 17-year-old woman who was not a sex worker.
Prosecuting Raper, Dale Brook told Hull Crown Court that the defendant pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order that had been made by magistrates on July 19, 2010 after he was caught by police in Hessle Road at 1am on March 11 this year.
He said: “The terms were regarding having direct contact with sex workers and preventing him from going to areas where it was known the sex workers frequented.
“He was visited by police officers on March 7, 2020, to remind him of the terms of the sexual harm prevention order. However, on March 11 at 1am, officers saw the defendant walking along Hessle Road.
“He saw the officers and took a detour down Rosamond Street where he was stopped and spoken to.
“Where he was seen on Hessle Road was an area known to be frequented by sex workers and was within the designated exclusion area which forms part of his sexual harm prevention order.
“When he was arrested, he said ‘I have made a stupid mistake’ and was taken into custody and was wearing a dress and a female undergarment, a bra.
“He was interviewed and admitted to being on Hessle Road.
“He was in an area he was not supposed to be because of the risk he posseses, but his last content offence was in 1999”.
Mr Brook told Hull Crown Court of Raper’s convictions, dating back to 1998, and also said that the defendant had previously breached licence conditions and had been in breach of the sexual harm prevention order before, for which he received a suspended sentence.
As a result of the most recent crime, he is in breach of November 25, 2019 suspended sentence.
The previous breaches also included Raper being seen in Hessle Road within the exclusion area, again breaching the sexual harm prevention order.
Defending Raper, Miss Stuartlofthouse said that the defendant had made “early, full and frank admission” to the offence during his interviewed and asked for credit for this.
She said: “He is identified by the probation service as a man with limited intellectual abilities. He is described as demonstrating limited social skills.
“Seemingly, he lives a simple lifestyle undertaking menial work on a part-time basis to allow for purpose and he does have accommodation and family support through his parents, who he was living with during the time.
“While I have to consider that his previous convictions establish a pattern of offending as to breach offences, given that the history demonstrates a significant gap in offending between 2013 and 2019.
“Despite his limited cognitive functioning, he has demonstrated an ability to recognise his sexual thinking as a key risk factor and has shown a willingness to address this and the need for help.
“The stringent requirements for a community based sentence would allow for further strategies which given custody has not been a deterrent in the past, allow him that opportunity.
“He has been in custody since March 11 and returning him to custody may not help overall and a longer term community based order would allow some support for him.”
His Honour Judge John Thackray, QC, issued Raper with a sentence of 16 months, suspended for two years, along with a two-year community order and 10 days community rehabilitation.
Addressing the defendant, Judge Thackray said: “You fall to be sentenced for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and you pleaded guilty on a full facts basis.
“You have many previous convictions although there have been no contact offences now for many years.
“You were given a very clear warning by the police on March 7 of your requirement to comply with the court order, and within a matter of days you were in breach of that order.
“You seem determined to ignore court orders and that determination on your part places you at a high risk of re-offending, that gives me real concern.
“Ultimately, protection public is my top priority.
“The breach was deliberate and your case is aggravated by your previous convictions and that you committed it during the operation of a suspended sentence order and by the warning that took place a few days before.
“I accept bearing the time you have spent in custody that I am able to suspend the 16-month prison sentence for two years and there will be a 24-month community order in the hope and expectation that you commit to an intervention and ten days of community rehabilitation requirement.” of the