Solomon Asemota, a 30-year-old man from Longsight, Manchester, was convicted of sexually exploiting two vulnerable 12-year-old girls after grooming them online via Snapchat. The offences, which occurred when Asemota was 27, involved providing the girls with alcohol and drugs to facilitate his predatory actions, leading to multiple rapes.
According to details presented at Manchester Crown Court, Asemota initially contacted the girls on Snapchat, where he engaged in grooming by building a false rapport and lying about his age. When the girls inquired about his age, suggesting he might be 18 or 19, he ambiguously replied, 'I can be,' without disclosing his true age of 27. He met the first victim and raped her during a game of 'Truth or Dare.' On another occasion, he raped both girls in the back of his car after supplying them with vodka and cannabis. Asemota also admitted to engaging in sexual acts with one girl in front of the other and taking intimate videos of them on his mobile phone, which were later recovered as forensic evidence.
- Asemota admitted meeting the girls on Snapchat and receiving pictures that made him think they were 16 or 17, though he noted they 'looked young' and insisted they 'couldn't be as young as 12.'
- He confessed to police that he kept vodka in his car and that one girl was drunk during an encounter.
- After dropping one girl off, her friend's mother confronted him, accusing him of having a child in the car, to which he responded that she might not be 18 or was just angry.
- On 9 January 2020, he took both girls to his aunt's house where they smoked cannabis, then to a friend's house in Cheetham Hill, where he raped one and suggested his friend rape the other, without using protection.
The case came to light on 9 January 2020 when police were called after one girl was reported missing. Officers tracked her to a house in Cheetham Hill, where they found her with Asemota, initially identified as 'Prince.' Although no immediate scientific evidence linked him to the acts at that time, further investigation, including forensic analysis, connected him to the victims. Upon arrest, Asemota expressed shock at their ages, claiming ignorance, but his police interview revealed significant admissions. Greater Manchester Police led the investigation, confirming his involvement through phone data and witness statements.
Prosecutor Simon Blakebrough outlined the predatory nature of Asemota's actions, emphasising the exploitation for his 'own sexual gratification.' Victim impact statements from the girls, now aged 14 and 15, described profound trauma, including flashbacks, trust issues, guilt, and shame, with a specialist nurse noting the lifelong impact of the 'significant trauma' endured. Judge Rachel Smith, in sentencing, described the victims as 'highly vulnerable and highly susceptible to exploitation,' highlighting evidence of grooming through provision of company, transport, food, alcohol, and drugs. She noted a pre-sentence report assessing Asemota as a high risk of causing serious harm to children, having adjusted his behaviour to appear younger to facilitate the grooming.
Mitigating, Michael Johnson acknowledged Asemota's candour in interviews and his lack of prior imprisonment, stating he was 'entirely the author of his own misfortune.' However, Asemota pleaded guilty to seven offences of rape and was jailed for 10 years with an extended licence period of one year. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 20 years and required to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register for life. The sentencing occurred on 23 July 2022 at Manchester Crown Court.