Blackburn teen’s prison hell on false rape charge — A TEENAGER has spoken of his nine-month hell in jail awaiting trial after being accused of rape and kidnap. Daniel Rakestraw was freed on Tuesday after being cleared by a jury of tying a 16-year-old girl to his bed and attacking her. The jury took just 30 minutes to clear him of four charges of rape, one of kidnap and another of imprisonment. The 19-year-old, from Revidge Road, Blackburn, said he was abused by other prisoners and put in isolation for his own safety during his stay in HM Prison Preston.
London’s Human Trafficking Problem Growing — A study says officials are in denial about the scale of the problem – especially male victims who are often too frightened to report what’s going on. Report author Conservative London Assembly Member Andrew Boff says the issue is often misunderstood. “At least 40% of the trafficked victims are male and the majority of the people who are trafficked are trafficked for labour, not sexual exploitation.” However he also called for more rape support services to be available for male victims of trafficking.
Prolific paedophile is HIV positive — A prolific paedophile who groomed vulnerable teenage boys online with an accomplice before filming their sexual abuse is HIV positive, it has been revealed. And police fear that Anthony Marsh, 53, and Lee Davis, 39, who have already admitted a string of sex offences, may have had more victims. The pair used social networks such as Facebook and Bebo, as well as specialist gay websites, to befriend boys before committing what police describe as ” vile, horrendous offences”. Continue reading