Opemipo Jaji with 'an unhealthy interest in little girls' will serve eight years before being considered for any parole
An 18-year-old paedophile who raped an 11-year-old girl while on probation has been jailed for life and told he will serve a minimum of eight years.
Opemipo Jaji, 18, from Edmonton, north London, had just left his probation officer when he spotted the child going home from school on a bus on 23 November last year.
Following her and forcing her into Jubilee Park, he attacked the girl, threatening to stab her if she resisted and telling her he would film her and send copies to children at her school and to "everyone you love".
After the rape, he went to a youth centre from which he had been banned as part of a supervision order.
Sentencing Jaji at the Old Bailey on Friday, Mr Justice Singh said he had given careful consideration as to whether he could impose a lesser sentence than life, but decided it was unavoidable.
"In all the circumstances of this case, I do not believe that the public would be adequately protected from you if you were the subject of any sentence other than a life sentence," he said.
He told Jaji that the eight-year minimum was not the actual term he would serve, but the minimum before he could be considered for release by the parole board.
"The parole board will only direct your release on licence if it is satisfied that you are no longer a danger to members of the public."
The judge told Jaji that his attack had affected the girl psychologically as well as physically. "You have left her with terrible emotional scars," he said. "One can only hope that, with the courage that she has already shown in giving evidence at this trial, and with the support of her family and friends, she can begin the process of recovery."
Jaji, who had denied raping the girl, was convicted of the attack in April. The judge said although Jaji had shown remorse for his crime following his conviction, he viewed his apparent regret with caution.
"I had the opportunity to observe you when you gave evidence at your trial," he said. "It is clear to me that you are well capable of lying and of manipulating others around you to suit your own interests."
While Jaji was "an intelligent young man who had potential", said the judge, it is also clear that he harboured "an unhealthy interest in little girls".
The case has prompted the Probation Service to launch a serious, multiagency case review into how Jaji was able to commit what it termed a horrific crime.
In February 2011, Jaji sexually assaulted and robbed a 12-year-old schoolgirl on a housing estate. He was given a 10-month detention and training order in September 2011, serving five months in custody.
In April last year, he was fined £15 for failing to comply with the order, while a month later he was given a youth supervision order for 18 months for making indecent pictures of young girls.
Detective Chief Inspector Adam Lowe of the Metropolitan police, who led the investigation, said Jaji had posed a great danger to young girls and had compounded the suffering of his victim by pleading not guilty and forcing her to give evidence to the court by videolink.
"This was a particularly brutal but unusual attack on an innocent 11-year-old schoolgirl who will no doubt continue to suffer the emotional scars of what happened to her for a very long time," he said. "I would like to take this opportunity to praise the bravery of the victim and her family."
Lowe added that the police had been aware of the threat Jaji posed and had raised their concerns with a multiagency public protection forum – or Mappa – which planned imminently to apply for an order that would establish some control over the risk he posed. However, Jaji raped his victim before such steps could be taken.
Lowe said a case review was going on into what happened, adding: "My organisation has done more than its statutory obligations." Reported by guardian.co.uk 9 hours ago.
An 18-year-old paedophile who raped an 11-year-old girl while on probation has been jailed for life and told he will serve a minimum of eight years.
Opemipo Jaji, 18, from Edmonton, north London, had just left his probation officer when he spotted the child going home from school on a bus on 23 November last year.
Following her and forcing her into Jubilee Park, he attacked the girl, threatening to stab her if she resisted and telling her he would film her and send copies to children at her school and to "everyone you love".
After the rape, he went to a youth centre from which he had been banned as part of a supervision order.
Sentencing Jaji at the Old Bailey on Friday, Mr Justice Singh said he had given careful consideration as to whether he could impose a lesser sentence than life, but decided it was unavoidable.
"In all the circumstances of this case, I do not believe that the public would be adequately protected from you if you were the subject of any sentence other than a life sentence," he said.
He told Jaji that the eight-year minimum was not the actual term he would serve, but the minimum before he could be considered for release by the parole board.
"The parole board will only direct your release on licence if it is satisfied that you are no longer a danger to members of the public."
The judge told Jaji that his attack had affected the girl psychologically as well as physically. "You have left her with terrible emotional scars," he said. "One can only hope that, with the courage that she has already shown in giving evidence at this trial, and with the support of her family and friends, she can begin the process of recovery."
Jaji, who had denied raping the girl, was convicted of the attack in April. The judge said although Jaji had shown remorse for his crime following his conviction, he viewed his apparent regret with caution.
"I had the opportunity to observe you when you gave evidence at your trial," he said. "It is clear to me that you are well capable of lying and of manipulating others around you to suit your own interests."
While Jaji was "an intelligent young man who had potential", said the judge, it is also clear that he harboured "an unhealthy interest in little girls".
The case has prompted the Probation Service to launch a serious, multiagency case review into how Jaji was able to commit what it termed a horrific crime.
In February 2011, Jaji sexually assaulted and robbed a 12-year-old schoolgirl on a housing estate. He was given a 10-month detention and training order in September 2011, serving five months in custody.
In April last year, he was fined £15 for failing to comply with the order, while a month later he was given a youth supervision order for 18 months for making indecent pictures of young girls.
Detective Chief Inspector Adam Lowe of the Metropolitan police, who led the investigation, said Jaji had posed a great danger to young girls and had compounded the suffering of his victim by pleading not guilty and forcing her to give evidence to the court by videolink.
"This was a particularly brutal but unusual attack on an innocent 11-year-old schoolgirl who will no doubt continue to suffer the emotional scars of what happened to her for a very long time," he said. "I would like to take this opportunity to praise the bravery of the victim and her family."
Lowe added that the police had been aware of the threat Jaji posed and had raised their concerns with a multiagency public protection forum – or Mappa – which planned imminently to apply for an order that would establish some control over the risk he posed. However, Jaji raped his victim before such steps could be taken.
Lowe said a case review was going on into what happened, adding: "My organisation has done more than its statutory obligations." Reported by guardian.co.uk 9 hours ago.