Former British Airways pilot Kwame Yeboah has been jailed for eight years and four months after driving hundreds of miles from his home in Reading to the Wirral to rape a 12-year-old girl he groomed online. The 30-year-old, who also played basketball for England's youth team, met his victim on the video chat website Omegle before moving their conversations to Instagram, where he exchanged explicit messages, photographs and video calls with her.
Grooming and Manipulation
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Yeboah groomed the schoolgirl over approximately three months, making her believe she was in a caring relationship. The victim initially told Yeboah she was 17, but later sent him photographs of herself in school uniform and mentioned being grounded. When she said she could not meet him, Yeboah sent manipulative messages such as: "I can't do this no more, because you're not meeting me. I can't call because it makes me sad, because I can't see you."
Prosecutor Louise McCloskey told the court that the girl's mother contacted Merseyside Police after learning from a friend that her daughter had been speaking to a man online and had sex with him. The mother reported that the man drove a black Mercedes and had saved his number under a false name in the girl's phone.
The Assault
Yeboah booked a hotel room on Merseyside before the girl climbed out of her bedroom window to meet him in his car. He drove her around before asking to "go to a car park and do stuff," telling her he was "horny." After stopping the vehicle, he sexually assaulted and raped her. When another car pulled up nearby, Yeboah drove to a second location where he instructed the youngster to perform a sex act before raping her again.
After the assault, Yeboah messaged the girl, concerned she might obtain the morning-after pill. He told her: "You lied to me. They would have asked you a bunch of questions before they gave it to you." She replied: "I just don't want you to be mad at me. I love you. I wouldn't lie to you. Don't text for a bit, social services are at my house."
Court Proceedings
When officers first spoke to the victim, she was described as "initially dismissive" and told her mother in front of police: "I don't know why you had to tell the police. It's not like I've been raped or anything." When told she might need emergency contraception, she replied: "No, I'm not getting it. I'll keep the baby."
Judge Gary Woodhall noted there had been "clearly some grooming behaviour" and found that Yeboah had sought to "manipulate or emotionally blackmail" the girl. Sentencing him, the judge said: "You had to travel from Reading. You booked a hotel room for the two of you. You agreed to collect her in your car. She had to sneak out of her home to meet you."
Yeboah, of Drake Way, Reading, admitted three counts of rape of a child under 13 and assault of a child under 13 by penetration. He was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison with an additional year on licence. He was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting the girl for 15 years and will remain on the sex offenders' register for life.
Impact on Victim
The court heard that the abuse had left the victim struggling with confidence, sleep and concentration at school. The case highlights the dangers of online grooming and the importance of parental vigilance.
