A teenager who appeared on the reality TV show Supernanny as a child has been sentenced to 10 years in a young offenders' institution for rape. Jacob Young, 18, of Ipswich, was convicted of raping a woman in her own home, where he strangled her almost to unconsciousness, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
The court heard that on the night of 13 October 2018, Young stalked and photographed 'vulnerable' women before targeting his victim, who was being helped home by her boyfriend. After the boyfriend left, Young entered her flat and attacked her. Judge Levett said evidence suggested Young enjoyed the violence, and the victim only escaped after promising to let him 'do whatever to me' if she could go to the bathroom.
Young's defence claimed he was ensuring the woman's safety, but the judge described a 'premeditated plan' to steal her bag and return it as a 'hero'. The court also heard Young had a previous conviction for threatening a 12-year-old girl with a knife at age 14.
Young's mother wrote to the court, blaming the family's 2005 appearance on Supernanny for a 'campaign of mockery and abuse' against her son. She claimed he was 'very protective' of women after a 2007 house fire. Judge Levett dismissed her statements as 'embellishment', noting Young's 'extreme form of sexual curiosity or unhealthy fantasy'.
Young was sentenced to 10 years in a young offenders' institution with an extended licence period of five years. He had denied rape, actual bodily harm, and theft but was found guilty by a jury.
