Kai Edwards, 18, of Hessle, was jailed for seven years after being convicted of raping three teenage girls he met separately on social media, showing “absolutely no remorse” for his crimes
A teenager obsessed with sex targeted and raped three young girls in separate incidents, showing “absolutely no remorse” and leaving them all suffering “severe psychological harm”.
Devious and domineering Kai Edwards attempted to coerce the girls into having sex with him and, when they asked him to stop, he simply ignored them and continued, Hull Crown Court was told.
Edwards, 18, from Cooper Street, Hessle, but recently held on remand, denied raping the three teenage girls but was found guilty by a jury after a trial that concluded on February 13. He was also convicted of assault by penetration against one of the girls.
Prosecutor David Godfrey explained that the three girls did not know each other and Edwards encountered them through separate interactions on social media. The first girl felt pressured by him into having sex but he dismissed her concerns, telling her “you’ll be fine” and carried on regardless.
“She asked him again to stop and he ignored her,” Mr Godfrey stated. The girl later reported the incident to the police. “It takes real courage and bravery to come forward,” said Mr Godfrey.
“Often it’s easier to sweep these things under the carpet.” The girl later revealed: “I went from being confident to not wanting to leave the house and becoming a very anxious person. I felt disgusted at the time.”, reports Hull Live.
“He made me feel so low. I couldn’t live with the fact that he had done that to me. The hardest pill to swallow was that he didn’t care. I felt embarrassed and mortified that I had let it happen to me. I was young and naive and he took full advantage of that.”
The second girl alleged that Edwards slapped, punched and kicked her as well as hurling abusive names at her. He sexually abused and raped her. She later stated: “I was in utter disbelief and shock.
“This impacted me so much I couldn’t sleep at night. I still have flashbacks about it. Look at what he has done to my life.
“He has absolutely ruined it. I hope one day to heal from this but I am not in that place yet.”
Mr Godfrey revealed that the third girl was repeatedly “pestered” by Edwards. She fell asleep and woke up to find Edwards having sex with her.
The girl later expressed: “My first sexual experience was being raped. I have never managed to get over what he did to me. This flashback memory controls my life.
“I cry a lot about what happened. I feel disgusted about what Kai did to me. I truly hate him. I don’t believe that he feels any remorse for what he did. I don’t know if I will ever be the same person again.”
During his defence testimony, Edwards was questioned if he raped the girls. He responded: “No, I did not.” When asked if he was violent to one of the girls, he replied: “No, never.”
Throughout the trial, Edwards maintained that there had been a conspiracy against him and that he had done nothing wrong. It was claimed that he showed no remorse. He had no previous convictions but he had received a caution.
Charlotte Baines, in mitigation, told the sentencing hearing: “The defendant had a trial and the jury found him guilty. The court will be disappointed to see that he has shown no remorse.
“The offences occurred over a short period of several months. There are three victims and they are obviously serious offences.”
Edwards had displayed a “level of immaturity” and had endured a troubled upbringing. “There are many different facets affecting this defendant’s level of maturity,” said Miss Baines.
Edwards was sentenced to seven years in a young offenders’ institution. He must register as a sex offender for life. Edwards had been on bail throughout the trial but was remanded in custody following the guilty verdicts.
After the sentencing, Detective Constable Lisa Grantham of Humberside Police, who headed the investigation, said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation, and I would like to commend the bravery of all three girls for assisting with our enquiries as we stacked up the evidence against a sexual predator like Edwards.
“It is thanks to their courage and willingness to engage with the court proceedings that led him to be found guilty, and now serving jail time. We take all reports of rape, and other sexual offences, both recent and non-recent, extremely seriously and will continue to seek justice for those who have suffered at the hands of such sordid individuals like Edwards.
“No matter your age or gender, or whether the offences took place yesterday or 30 years ago, we would encourage you to tell someone you trust and when you are ready, report it to the police.”