Jitendrakumar Prajapati

Jitendrakumar Prajapati, a 47-year-old Uber Eats delivery driver residing in Boston, Lincolnshire, exploited his position to commit a serious sexual offence against a vulnerable customer. On 19 January 2026, shortly after lunchtime, Prajapati delivered an order to the victim's home. During the interaction, he engaged her in conversation, claiming he had recently moved to the area, knew no one, and needed assistance with obtaining a visa and employment. Leveraging her good nature, he requested her Instagram details and exchanged phone numbers, ostensibly to seek help with his visa application.

Approximately five hours later, around 5pm on the same day, Prajapati returned uninvited to the victim's property. Initial general conversation soon escalated into a sinister assault, during which he raped her. Following the attack, Prajapati left the scene but sent a message to the victim stating, 'Hey I am sorry.' He subsequently altered his WhatsApp username and activated a 'disappearing chat after 24 hours' feature to obscure evidence. When confronted by the victim via messages accusing him of rape, Prajapati responded apologetically, pleading with her not to report the incident.

Thanks to the victim's courage, she promptly notified Lincolnshire Police. Swift investigative efforts, led by Detective Constable Jessica McKiernan, traced the delivery vehicle used by Prajapati, leading to his arrest on suspicion of rape and non-fatal strangulation around 9pm that evening. The strangulation charge was later dropped during court proceedings. Prajapati appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on 27 March 2026, where he pleaded guilty to rape. The court imposed a five-year custodial sentence, reduced to three years and eight months due to his early plea. Concurrently, he received an 18-month sentence for sexual assault and was issued with a deportation order.

Detective Constable Jessica McKiernan commented on the case, stating: 'Bringing this offender to justice was made possible by the extraordinary courage shown by the victim in coming forward at the earliest opportunity. Her trust in us allowed our officers to begin swift and focused inquiries, which led to the suspect being located within hours. Her bravery has been vital in ensuring he is now held to account.' This incident underscores the vulnerabilities exploited in everyday service interactions and the importance of rapid police response in sexual offence cases.