(Image: North Yorkshire Police)
A man who raped a North Yorkshire sex worker in her own home has been jailed for five years.
Eisen Vir Raganit travelled to the county from his Stockport home after booking a session with the woman via her website, York Crown Court heard.
He had researched ‘stealthing’ – removing a condom during sex without a partner’s knowledge or consent – before travelling.
Despite the sex worker stating on her website and when they met that she only had sex with men wearing condoms, he removed his secretly during their sexual activity and continued without telling her.
As soon as she realised what he had done, she called police and he was arrested and charged with rape.
Police Staff Investigator, Lorraine Whipp of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe, to have their boundaries respected, and to seek justice when those boundaries are violated.”
Raganit, 45, of Westwood Road, Stockport, denied rape but was convicted by a jury in August after both had given evidence.
He was jailed for five years and put on the sex offenders’ register for life.
PSI Whipp said: “I commend the victim for the courage she has shown throughout the investigation and court process. Nobody should feel unable to report a sexual offence because of their occupation or personal circumstances.
“To anyone working in the industry, you do not have to put up with abuse, it is not part of the job and you will be listened to, supported and taken seriously when you come forward.”
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In a personal statement, the victim said: “It is two years since I was raped at my house. After it happened, I was extremely upset and nervous at first to meet new clients.
“Throughout the four years I had been working from home, I had never had anything like this happen to me before.
“I normally felt safe in my house, but this incident made me more aware of my safety.
“I wasn’t sure whether to report it to the police at first, and I wasn’t even sure if it was a sexual assault, but I am glad I reported it now."
She said: “Even though I knew these investigations take time; I wanted to support the police all the way to trial.
"One of the main reasons was that I think it is important to show other people who work in the sex industry that you can report things that happen to you, you will be believed and you can get justice.”