Nico Baxter

Nico Baxter, a 39-year-old man from East Sussex, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison after being found guilty of drugging and raping three men across different locations in the UK. The offences, which demonstrate his predatory behaviour exacerbated by an amphetamine addiction, involved targeting vulnerable individuals unable to resist his advances. Baxter, who has 37 previous convictions for 84 offences (none sexual prior to these), showed no remorse and claimed the acts were consensual during his trial at Minshull Street Crown Court.

The first offence occurred on 16 December 2019 in Manchester. Baxter encountered a man on the streets who was struggling with drug use and mourning the loss of a loved one. He lured the victim back to his house, where they consumed crack cocaine together. After Baxter left and returned with another woman, more drugs were taken. The victim went to bed but awoke to find Baxter raping him; he felt powerless and froze. Baxter raped him again later, leaving the victim immobilised. Hours afterwards, the victim overdosed and required hospitalisation before reporting the incident to police. In his statement, the victim described how the assault undermined his pride and dignity, prompting him to want to move house.

• Prosecutor Amanda Johnson detailed: "He could feel a pain, his boxer shorts were pulled off, he couldn’t move and he was powerless to resist and froze lying there whilst he was being raped."

The second incident took place in April 2020 in Stockport. Baxter approached an alcoholic man waiting for a friend in the town centre, lying that the friend was at his flat to lure him there. He gave the man a small white tablet and later squirted syringe contents into his mouth after pretending to call the friend. The victim, who denied being gay and mentioned having a girlfriend, fell unconscious and awoke to Baxter raping him on a mattress. The assault happened again after he briefly regained consciousness, leaving him feeling powerless, belittled, and disgusted. The victim called police shortly after leaving, stating he felt duped and now uncomfortable around other men due to his low self-worth.

The third offence occurred in April 2021 in East Sussex. Baxter approached a homeless man sleeping on a bench and invited him to his flat under the pretext of drinking coffee. They discussed being gay before consuming amphetamines, which Baxter injected into the victim. Despite the man's refusal of penetration due to Baxter's HIV-positive status, Baxter proceeded to rape him. The victim stated that Baxter had ruined his life in one day.

Sentencing on 21 April 2022, Judge Bernadette Baxter remarked: "These offences demonstrate that you are a predatory sex offender with an addiction to amphetamine. This addiction exacerbates any sexual preoccupations - you were always on the lookout for a sexual opportunity and were able to identify vulnerable individuals who were unable to fight you off. You pre-planned and had little or no internal control over your sexual impulses." Although Baxter's HIV was undetectable at the time, the judge noted the victims' understandable concerns. He was found guilty of seven rape offences by a jury in February 2022, received an extended licence of two years, and must sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely. The judge classified him as a dangerous offender posing a significant risk of serious harm.

Mitigating barrister Beverley Cherrill argued for intervention to reduce Baxter's risk of drug use with others. The case was reported by SussexLive, with details from Greater Manchester Police.