Sex attacker jailed for rape and assault filmed on phone

BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

A serial sex attacker has been jailed for 16 years after raping a woman and sexually assaulting another while filming it.

Delando Smith, 31, was caught after the first woman took down his number plate. But he carried out the second attack while out on bail for the first offence. He was sentenced this week for three counts of rapes, one count of sexual assault by penetration, and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The 31-year-old lured some victims into his car before attacking them. One rape took place at 3am on May 17, 2015 when he pulled up beside a 20-year-old woman, who was waiting for a bus after a night out in Peckham. Smith chatted to her and said he would give her a lift home.

She got into the car and Smith told her to perform a sex act. He then took her to an address and raped her. The victim reported the attack to police.

Smith’s car was identified as a white Nissan Qashqai, and vehicle registration enquiries led police to him. He was arrested on suspicion of rape in November 2015 and released on bail while officers investigated the allegations. He committed the second attack while out on bail.

This happened when he was in Clapham High Street on January 29 when the 21-year-old victim got into his car thinking it was a taxi. He took her to a car park and sexually assaulted her. He was arrested on February 2. In an interview with the police he claimed the incident had been consensual. He was charged the same day.

Smith’s phone was seized and analysed, and videos showing the attack on this victim were found. Smith, of Shenley Road, Camberwell, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Monday, November 6, and was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment with a six-year extension on licence.

He had been convicted in August 2016 and found guilty of three counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration, and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Sentencing took place this week because Smith had also been on trial for a separate rape offence, for which he was found not guilty in August 2017.

There had been reporting restrictions in place in relation to the first trial which were lifted following the conclusion of the second trial. Detective constable Ellen Jones of the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command said: “Delando Smith is a predatory male who targeted young, vulnerable, lone women, attacked them and filmed the offences for his own gratification.

“This has been a long and emotional process for the victims and I would like to praise their courage and commitment to making sure that Smith was convicted so he would face justice for his actions.”