Bournemouth Hotel Rapist Jailed

24 April 2019, 13:36 | Updated: 24 April 2019, 13:40

A man's been jailed for 12 years, for raping a woman in a hotel in Bournemouth.

Lee Hogben, aged 35 and of Windham Road, Bournemouth, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday 23 April 2019 after being found guilty of rape and two counts of sexual assault following a three-week trial at the same court.

As well as being sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, Hogben was also made subject to an extended licence period of a further six years.

Hogben had arranged to meet his victim, a woman aged in her 20s, at the Royal Bath Hotel on the afternoon of Friday 19 January 2018.

Following initial consensual activity, he then raped her despite his victim making it very clear she was not consenting. He also sexually assaulted her.

She described the defendant’s behaviour as erratic and volatile and said she was frightened for her safety.

The victim reported the matter to police and Hogben was arrested on suspicion of rape the following day.

On Friday 8 March 2019 Hogben also pleaded guilty to offences of threatening to destroy or damage property, disclosing private and sexual photographs with intent to cause distress and breaching a restraining order.

These offences relate to contact with two women, both aged in their 30s, during April 2018 while Hogben was on bail for the rape and sexual assault matters.

Following these reports, Hogben was circulated as wanted and was arrested in Blandford on Friday 4 May 2018.

The defendant also admitted an offence of malicious communications in May 2018 relating to further messages sent while he was on remand in prison.

Threats made by Hogben included 'I'm going to have your head smashed in for what you've done to me' and 'I'm gonna kill your grandparents'.

Hogben was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order prohibiting him from contacting other victims on adult or dating sites, giving police the opportunity to monitor his use of computers and the internet indefinitely.

The victims of his offending will also be given further protection with restraining orders preventing Hogben making contact with them.

Detective Inspector Kate Lill, representing the Serious Sexual Offences Team, said: 

“Lee Hogben is a dangerous offender who raped and sexually assaulted his frightened victim.

“I want to praise her and all the witnesses in this case for their courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.

“We will always take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, regardless of someone’s background or circumstances, and have a specialist team of officers who will investigate cases and ensure victims are fully supported.

“We acknowledge that not everyone will want to report a matter directly to police. The Shores is the sexual assault referral centre for Dorset and its expert staff are independent of the police.

“If you have been subject of a sexual offence and are not sure if you want the police to be involved, then you can call or visit The Shores to talk about what happened. The Shores can be contacted on 01202 552056 and more details about their facilities can be found on their website www.the-shores.org.uk.”