Rapist jailed after brave victims help secure convictions
Carlos Fletcher has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars
A man who raped a woman and blackmailed her over naked photos has been jailed after police worked with her, plus another woman, to secure his conviction.
Carlos Fletcher, who also tried to rape a 14-year-old girl, was jailed for 12 years after the two women bravely came forward to disclose the offences.
With the support of specially-trained officers - the police were able to help build the case against 23-year-old Fletcher.
The first girl contacted police in autumn of 2020 to say that back in 2017, when she was 14, Fletcher forced her to repeatedly engage in sexual activities with him.
And that pressure from him continued when he started asking for naked images.
His second victim, who was around 20 when he raped her, also got in contact with police after telling a confidante what Fletcher had done.
She'd also felt forced to send him naked images and he threatened to share those with other people if she didn’t give him money.
Digital forensics experts were able to retrieve images from Fletcher's phone and unlock messages from him to present compelling evidence to the trial jury.
Fletcher, of Junction Road, Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, had denied all the charges – rape, attempted rape of a child, sexual activity with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and blackmail.
But after a five-day trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, he was convicted on 9 April on all five counts. Fletcher was given a 12-year jail sentence on 1 June and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
DC David Powles from the Public Protection Unit, said: "The bravery of these two women, in coming to us and being able to tell us what happened to them, has been vital in this case.
"We have been able to support them throughout the investigation, legal hearings and as they provided the court with their testimonies. And it has resulted in Fletcher being put behind bars for many years, preventing him from preying on any other women.
"We hope his conviction and jailing will now help these two courageous women in their recovery from their awful ordeals."