Fitness coach and his girlfriend jailed for rape and sexual assault

A personal trainer and his girlfriend have been jailed after luring an 18-year-old to their home under false pretences before raping and sexually assaulting her in a hot tub.

James Owen, 55, and Ellen Rae, 52, lulled a young client ‘into a false sense of security’ before the ‘utterly abhorrent’ attack.

They invited the woman to their Salisbury home on February 6, 2021, claiming it was in order to discuss healthy eating.

Then they plied her with drinks before Owen raped and Rae sexually assaulted her in their hot tub.

Salisbury Crown Court heard on Friday, August 16 that the victim scratched Owen with her nails and bit him before he stopped raping her.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it followed weeks of planning by the couple whose text messages revealed ‘vile discussions about sexual assaults committed against the victim prior to the rape, and their plans for further abuse’.

A senior crown prosecutor said Owen and Rae had worked together to ‘systematically plan and execute the rape of a young woman who trusted them’ while ‘masquerading as a friendly couple with noble intentions’.

Following the grooming, the pair invited the 18-year-old to their home for a dinner which Rae gave a Valentine’s theme.

Shortly after her arrival, Owen presented the victim with a heart-shaped nipple piercing which the pair insisted she try on.

Feeling more uncomfortable as the night went on, the victim tearfully called her friend from a bathroom and expressed concern about the pair’s conduct, the CPS said.

Before she could be picked up, the defendants told the teenager to get into their hot tub, where she was sexually attacked by the couple.

The victim told Salisbury Crown Court that she felt ‘trapped’ in the hot tub and not knowing what to do.

She said: ‘I feel sick thinking about it. I felt I had to carry on as there was no one there to help me.

‘When it happened I held my breath for so long I thought I was going to die.’

During a nine-day trial at Winchester Crown Court, it was heard how Owen first sexually assaulted the woman by groping her during physical training sessions at his home between January and February 2021.

He claimed his touching of her was necessary as part of specific exercises.

However, the CPS said text messages between Owen and Rae ‘revealed far more sinister intentions’.

It said Owen revelled in his groping of the victim and made comments such as ‘I’ll be very respectable tomorrow to lull her into a false sense of security’ prior to a session.

Rae also made comments about the victim’s body and encouraged her partner’s sexual intentions.

The victim considered Owen a ‘second dad’ and agreed to visit his home gym regularly during the Coronavirus lockdown as she felt down and isolated.

These sessions soon turned ‘female only’ as Owen would train his then-girlfriend Rea simultaneously and required the pair to wear tight shorts for his sick pleasure.

On January 19, 2021, the night before he first sexually assaulted the victim, Owen sent a message to Rea, saying: ‘I’m going to play with [the victim’s] t**s tomorrow.’

Former A Level chemistry teacher Rea replied: ‘I’m so glad I didn’t read that while I was on the phone.

‘Enjoy baby. Make sure you tell me all about it.’

The next day, Owen placed the victim in exploitative positions so he could touch her inappropriately, the Salisbury Journal reported.

The victim told the court: ‘Looking back on these sessions they make me sick.

‘I feel disappointed in myself for not saying anything or sticking up for myself.

‘I look back and tell myself I should have said something. I knew it wasn’t right but I didn’t have the confidence.

‘In my head, I was still this little girl trying to make everyone happy.’

David Osborne, defending Rae, said the couple had ‘a somewhat alternative swinging lifestyle’ and her behaviour was ‘driven by a desire to satisfy and please Mr Owen’.

On Friday, Owen was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.

Rae was jailed for two years after being found guilty of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.

Lisa Garcia, a senior crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said the actions of Owen and Rae were ‘utterly abhorrent’.

Ms Garcia added: ‘While masquerading as a friendly couple with noble intentions, they worked together to systematically plan and execute the rape of a young woman who trusted them.

‘This abuse of trust has caused indescribable damage and we worked rigorously with detectives to ensure they were not just convicted for the physical abuse, but for their sick planning and coercion.

‘We hope their convictions send a clear message that the CPS is committed to prosecuting rape cases and that we will always strive to deliver justice for victims.’