Rapist and child abuser sentenced to life imprisonment

A “sex offender” who raped two women and subjected three other victims to a “series of cruel abuses” has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Nottinghamshire Police said Andrew Woodhouse’s crimes – which included blackmail, sexual assault and inducing a child to engage in sexual activity – spanned a period of 20 years.

The 48-year-old denied most of the charges, but after a trial a jury found him guilty of four counts of rape and other crimes.

On Friday he was sentenced to life imprisonment at Nottingham Crown Court and must serve a minimum term of 18 years and 329 days.

The jury found Woodhouse, formerly of Long Eaton, Derbyshire, guilty of four counts of rape, indecent control or coercion and two counts of assault on a girl by touching.

He was also found guilty of inducing a child to engage in sexual conduct, two counts of engaging in sexual conduct in the presence of a child and two counts of inducing a child to view images of sexual conduct.

Woodhouse had previously admitted four counts of blackmail and one count of possession of extreme pornography.

Nottinghamshire Police said Woodhouse was arrested in October 2020 after a woman said she was raped by him more than once in 2019.

Police said the victim also reported that he was “fixated on an older woman” and bombarded her with thousands of disgusting sexual messages over several years.

When the elderly woman ignored him, he placed her face on pictures of naked women and threatened to share them on the Internet and on lampposts in her neighborhood.

During the investigation into Woodhouse, detectives encountered a second rape victim and another victim who reported being subjected to controlling and coercive behavior between 2020 and 2021.

The trial also revealed that Woodhouse had sexually abused a young girl and promised her sweets if she complied with his sexual desires.

Police said that after confiscating his phone, detectives discovered extreme pornography, including sodomy videos.

After handing down the verdict on Friday, Det. Con Stacey Lamb paid tribute to Woodhouse’s victims.

She said: “The evidence they provided was crucial to the success of the prosecution and I would like to pay tribute to their extraordinary courage and bravery throughout the investigation.”

“Their bravery prevented further harm from coming to others and while his actions will always haunt them, I hope this verdict can give them a sense of closure.”