Twisted husband raped Leeds sex worker at knife point as he 'put his fantasies into action'

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A man has been jailed after raping a sex worker at knife point in the back of his car in Leeds.

Married Steven Parkes, 44, of Ranelagh Avenue in Bradford, was acting out a perverse sexual fantasy that he had harboured for over two years when he attacked the woman on 20 October 2022.

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He took a “rape kit” that also included handcuffs and lubrication when he went to pick the woman up in the Holbeck Red Light District, before driving her to a remote location where he attacked her in his car. He told her “scream and I will ******* cut you” as he held a knife that belonged to his wife against the sex worker’s throat during the attack, the court heard.

Parkes was found not guilty of rape at an initial trial in April 2023 but he pleaded guilty after new evidence from his mobile phone came to light that showed he had an “unhealthy interest in raping sex workers at knife point”. He was found guilty of possessing the knife at trial.

For the prosecution, Richard Butters, said: “The defendant was playing out fantasies that he had been thinking about for some time.”

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Steven Parkes, 44, was sentenced to 15 years after raping a sex worker in Leeds while holding a knife against her throatSteven Parkes, 44, was sentenced to 15 years after raping a sex worker in Leeds while holding a knife against her throat
Steven Parkes, 44, was sentenced to 15 years after raping a sex worker in Leeds while holding a knife against her throat | West Yorkshire Police/National World

He was jailed for 15 years at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.

The court heard that Parkes was noticed driving around the red light district in Leeds “for many hours” in the weeks leading up to the offence; including by the eventual victim.

On October 20, he invited her into the car and Parkes began driving her to an industrial area. The court was told that she suggested another place where she was less vulnerable.

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During the attack in the back of the car, the court was told that Parkes grabbed the woman and “squeezed her face tighter and tighter”. She tried to pull the knife away but cut her hand. When she asked Parkes why he was doing it, he responded: “Because it’s fun.”

After the attack, he told the victim to “get dressed and keep the money”. She then ran away and called police.

When officers searched his home, they found a rucksack containing the knife and handcuffs.

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Mitigating for Parkes, Nicholas Hammond told the court that pre-sentence reports indicated that Parkes poses a “high and imminent” risk of reoffending. Mr Hammond said: “He knows that he will have to spend a great deal of time in custody before that risk is reduced.”

Sentencing Parkes, Judge Andrew Stubbs said: “She thought you were going to kill her.

“Afterwards you returned home to tell lies to your wife.

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“You are a manipulative and intelligent man and you gaslighted your wife; providing spurious explanations for the rape kit when she had seen it.”

Judge Stubbs said that Parkes’ phone featured online searches “about rape and forced sex” that indicated there had been “two years’ worth of frustration” before he committed the offence.

He sentenced Parkes to 15 years in prison, of which he will serve 10 years before being considered for release, and an additional eight years on licence.

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