Downham Market man used dating apps to prey on women before raping two in Thetford Forest

A man from Norfolk who used dating apps to blackmail women before raping two of them has been jailed for 16 years.

Jack Lister, 21, of Landseer Drive in Downham Market admitted fraud, blackmail and making indecent images.

A jury had already found him guilty of rape and sexual assault in a trial in January 2022.

Norwich Crown Court heard Lister contacted six different women after creating fake dating profiles between March 2020 and November 2020.

He struck up relationships with the women before encouraging them to send him money. He also persuaded them to send him intimate pictures which he used to blackmail them.

In December 2020 a 20-year-old woman contacted police to say Lister had raped her in Thetford Forest after they met on an online app.

Officers also traced another victim, aged 19, who disclosed that she too had been raped by Lister in an area of Thetford Forest in August 2020.

He was arrested on 4 August 2021 and later charged with rape, fraud, sexual assault, making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

He will serve a total of 16 years in prison with an additional four years on extended licence.

Investigating officer Detective Constable James Smith said: “Lister’s actions will have a lasting impact on the victims, who have shown tremendous bravery in coming forward and giving evidence in court.

“I would like to thank them for their courage and strength in supporting this prosecution and I hope today’s sentence will offer some closure to all of those effected by his actions.”

Detective Inspector Richard Weller added: “I hope this case demonstrates that Norfolk Police will do whatever we can to bring offenders who victimise women in this way to justice. I wish to pay tribute to the team of detectives who did an outstanding job in successfully building this case for the victims.”