Wilmslow rapist jailed after grooming teenager on Snapchat

The 33-year-old claimed he believed the teenager was 16

A man who groomed a young girl on Snapchat before luring her to his home more than 60 miles away and raping her has been jailed.

Jake O'Neil began speaking to the 14-year-old online before paying a taxi to take her from Wolverhampton to his Wilmslow home in 2021.

Det Con Charlotte Astbury said the 33-year-old had "warped intentions".

He was sentenced to 15 years in jail at Chester Crown Court earlier.

The 33-year-old was also given a five-year extension after a jury found O'Neil guilty of rape, attempted rape, child abduction, grooming, and four counts of assault by penetration.

'Take advantage'

O'Neil began grooming the young girl over Snapchat in October 2021, sending explicit messages until he was blocked, the court heard.

Police in Cheshire were alerted when the teenager failed to arrive at school.

They discovered O'Neil had contacted her using an alternative account and paid for her taxi 65-mile journey to his home where he raped her.

O'Neil threw the 14-year-old's phone into a river to hide their whereabouts, but officers later arrested him, the court heard.

Det Con Astbury said he went to "great lengths" to "take advantage of a vulnerable teenager", who he claimed he thought was 16.

The officer added: "Knowing this, O'Neil clearly knew she was 14 years old, we even found a message he sent to someone admitting she was underage."

A spokeswoman for Snapchat said the social media platform worked to "detect and prevent" this type of "abhorrent" abuse, and "offers confidential in-app reporting tools and works with police to support investigations".

She added that there were extra protections put in place for under-18s and their parents, including pop up warnings if a stranger contacts them and alerts when new friends are added.

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