Man, 19, guilty of 22 counts of rape against teenage girls is jailed

A 19-year-old man who raped teenage girls he met on social media has been jailed for 12 years.

Kevarnie Queen, of Barrington Road, Brixton, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with an additional four years on licence during a hearing at Inner London Crown Court yesterday.

He was previously convicted of 22 counts of rape against six teenage victims, following a trial at the same court.

Queen had met five of the six victims on social media where he groomed the girls before going on to rape them.

He was 15 years old when he carried out the first offence in 2019. Queen manipulated his victims, making them think the sexual abuse was a normal part of being in a relationship, the Met said.

He was first arrested on June 7, 2022, on suspicion of rape after a report was made to police. 

This was not the first time allegations had been made against Queen but it was the first time a victim wanted to support a criminal investigation.

Officers went back to previous victims, who then agreed to support the criminal case.

The investigation included hundreds of hours analysing communication between Queen and the victims, which showed an insight into how he treated them as well as a “general lack of respect towards women”.

Witness statements from friends, family members and third parties also showed the impact the offences had on the victims both at the time and now.

Detective Constable Jennie Seward, one of the investigating officers, said: “The six women in this case – five of whom were aged just 15 at the time of the offences – have shown incredible bravery, not only in initially coming forward to police but in giving evidence at court which proved vital in bringing Queen to justice.

“No one who heard their personal statements can fail to be horrified by the impact Queen’s crimes have had on their lives, and we do not underestimate the effect this will have on them in the years to come.

“There is no doubt their actions will have prevented similar crimes against other women. We are pleased Queen is now behind bars and unable to cause further harm.

“If you have any information about sexual predators please inform police directly or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers. This all helps us build a picture to prevent and detect crime.”

Pictured top: Kevarnie Queen has been jailed for 12 years (Picture: The Met)