55-year-old man jailed for over a decade after grooming and raping young teenage boy

A man has been jailed after raping a teenage boy after be-friending him.

Paul Evennett, 55, from Washington, became friendly with the teenager, inviting him to spend the day with him.

First they visited a local beach and then they went back to Evenett’s home to watch a film.

Things took a sinister turn, however, when Evennett returned to the sofa wearing just his boxers before raping the victim.

Terrified, the teeanger went home to shower and then cried himself to sleep.

It wasn’t until a year later that he confided in friends and family. The attack was then reported to the police who launched an investigation.

Evennett was subsequently arrested and charged with three counts of rape. He denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court in Feburary.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to 13 years behind bars, made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, given a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Lee Boys, who led the investigation, said: “Evennett preyed on a teenager decades his junior, he groomed him and made him believe he was a friend, someone he could rely on, and then subjected him to the worst ordeal imaginable.

“I want to praise the survivor for his bravery, I know it’s never easy to come forward and sadly often males find it especially hard, but your courage and composure during the investigation means a predatory man has been outed for what he is – a rapist – and locked up.

“I hope this sentence serves as a stark warning to those despicable people among us who believe they can get away with grooming young men or women – your secret is not safe and we will do everything in our power to lock you up and remove you from society.

“Regardless of your age, gender or sexuality – if you have ever been a victim of rape or any type of sexual assault, we and our partners are here for you and will do everything in our power to support you.”

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