Teen rapist locked girl, nine, in spider-filled cupboard to scare her into having sex with him

A man has been jailed years after he locked a nine-year-old girl in a spider-filled cupboard to scare her into having sex with him.

Luke Driver, now 21, was aged between 14 and 16 at the time of the assaults, while the girl was aged between nine and 10.

He was jailed for four years at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday, after admitting oralling raping the girl, trying to rape her twice, sexually assaulting her on two occasions and inciting her into sexual activity.

The offences were committed between June 2009 and May 2011.

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Prosecutor Anjali Gohil said that Driver began his offending by kissing the girl on the lips and putting his tongue in her mouth.

She said: “When she refused to do what he wanted he would lock her in an understairs cupboard. She was scared of this because it was dark and full of spiders. She would be so scared that she would agree to do what he asked.”

The girl said in a victim impact statement that she felt her life was “rubbish” because of what had happened to her.

She added: “I only realised it was really, really wrong when I started reading things in my mum’s womens’ magazines and other peoples’ experiences. I felt sick about it. It was disgusting, it was nasty.

“I started smoking weed when I was about 12. It helped to calm me down and make me feel better.

“In October 2015 I was depressed and ended up taking an overdose and almost died. I did it because I wanted to die and I hated life.”

She told her mother what Driver had done to her in December of that year.

Gareth James, defending, said Driver’s offending had been sporadic, and he hadn’t appreciated the consequences of his actions.

He added that Driver, of Lysons Avenue, Gloucester, is now a father of two young children who knew his behaviour had been abhorrent.

He said: “He realises full well that he cannot undo the harm he has done.”

Judge Jamie Tabor QC told Driver: ‘The girl was still a child, unaware of the birds and bees, but frightened of you because on at least one occasion when she didn’t do what you wanted to do you locked her in a cupboard till she agreed.

“You were yourself at the time a troubled boy, immature, and I accept to some degree that this was sexual experimentation.

“But you knew perfectly well that what you were doing was wrong and that it was particularly wicked to invite a young girl to do it.”