Merchant Navy engineer jailed for raping woman at sea

A former engineer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary has been jailed for six years for raping a woman on a ship at sea.

James Carnegie, 33, was working on a ship in international waters when he sexually assaulted and raped a woman in 2021.

Devon and Cornwall Police investigated the incidents as the RFA vessel was returning to Cornwall.

Carnegie, from Leeds, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by a jury and was sentenced to six years in prison during a hearing at Truro Crown Court on Friday 27 October.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

The victim reported he had first sexually assaulted her and then later raped her, physically forcing himself on her when she explicitly had not consented.

Carnegie denied the offences and told police their interactions were consensual. He was found guilty of all charges by the jury.

Detective Sergeant Nick Williams said: “First and foremost I would like to thank the victim for coming forward and reporting this horrendous crime, so that we could investigate and bring the offender to justice.

"I hope that the sentence given by the judge will help to bring some level of closure and also serve as reassurance to other victims of sexual offences that we fully and thoroughly investigate reports and take action."