Serial sex attacker who raped woman he met on Match.com in a van in Northamptonshire gets life in prison

A dating website predator who raped a woman he met on Match.com in the back of a van in Northamptonshire has been sentenced to life in prison for a string of sex offences.
Jason Lawrance has been found guilty of several counts of rape after meeting women through the dating site Match.com. At least one of his victims was from Northamptonshire.Jason Lawrance has been found guilty of several counts of rape after meeting women through the dating site Match.com. At least one of his victims was from Northamptonshire.
Jason Lawrance has been found guilty of several counts of rape after meeting women through the dating site Match.com. At least one of his victims was from Northamptonshire.

Between 2011 and 2014 Jason Lawrance used the site to contact seven divorced or widowed women and arranged to meet them in person.

The 50-year-old persuaded them to give him their personal contact details by claiming he could not upload a photo to his online profile.

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When they asked to see his image, he said he would send one to their personal email instead and he would then move the conversation away from the Match.com messaging system.

After meeting his victims in person, Lawrance then raped, tried to rape, or sexually assaulted the seven victims.

In June 2011 he drove a woman down a remote country lane near Crick in Northamptonshire and raped her in the back of his van.

Lawrance, of Arundel Close, Liphook, Hampshire, denied five counts of rape, one attempted rape and one sexual touching but was found guilty by a jury at Derby Crown Court following a two-week trial.

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Today he has been sentenced to life in prison and must serve at least 12 and a half years before being eligible for parole.

Detective Chief Inspector Allison Rigby, who led the police investigation, said: “The length of the sentence today reflects the severity of his crimes and I am pleased that we have been able to achieve justice for the victims.

“The life sentence he has been given means that he may never be released. He will not be able to apply for parole for nearly 12 years and it may be that, if he is still deemed to be a danger to women, he may spend the rest of his life in prison.

“It is important to remember that this trial has not just been about Jason Lawrance.

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“There are seven women who were abused at his hands, who had to relive their ordeals in front of complete strangers at court.

“I hope that yesterday’s verdict and the substantial sentence handed to Jason Lawrance today will bring them some comfort.

“This has been a long, complex police investigation and I am pleased that, at its conclusion, we have been able to put a dangerous sexual predator behind bars.”

Anyone who feels affected by the Jason Lawrance case, or wants to talk about any kind of sexual offence, can find out more by visiting www.derbyshire.police.uk.