Man found guilty of raping teenage girl after abducting her from a park in Boston

Jay Savage, 33, of Marsh Lane, Boston, left his victim fearing for her life after following her into a dark area of Central Park on the evening of March 16, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Savage threatened to stab the teenager after demanding her phone and then walked her across Boston to his hotel room, where he filmed himself raping her.

Savage claimed the teenager – who can not be named – went with him willingly, after approaching him in the park and asking if he could charge her phone.

But, today (Monday, September 21), a jury found Savage guilty of abduction, rape and taking indecent photographs of a child after deliberating for less than an hour.

In her evidence, the victim described how she was walking through Central Park to a friend’s house at about 9.30pm when she was grabbed by the man who demanded her phone.

The teenager said she went to the ground and believed her attacker had a knife, telling her not to scream otherwise he would cut her.

She told the court she screamed for help, but said ‘no one heard me’.

The teenager said she went with Savage as she was scared and he told her: “You can’t run, because if you do there is a car and they will shoot you straight away.”

CCTV showed Savage taking the teenager back to the hotel where he was staying.

His victim described how Savage forced her to perform a sex act on him while he recorded it.

“I had to do it because I didn’t want to die,” she said.

When the teenager finally arrived at her friend’s home, she was ‘sobbing’ and immediately reported being abducted and raped.

The court was told Savage moved to Lincolnshire from South London in 2019 and had a previous conviction for stalking.

Judge Catarina Sjolin-Knight adjourned sentence until November 27 for the preparation of a report on Savage which will assess if he is a dangerous offender.

Savage will remain remanded into custody.

The officer in charge of this case, Det Con Charlotte Howitt praised the courage and maturity displayed by the victim.

She said: “The resilience and bravery displayed by this young victim throughout an incredibly harrowing investigation and court process have been truly remarkable. Her willingness to place her trust in the criminal justice system and her determination to see the case through, despite having to recount details of this traumatic experience on numerous occasions, have been instrumental in securing this outcome. She remained resolute throughout, and she should be incredibly proud of the strength she has shown.

“Together, with the victim’s bravery and the relentless efforts of the officers involved, we have ensured that a dangerous individual has been held accountable for his actions. I hope this outcome gives the victim some measure of closure and demonstrates our commitment to pursuing offenders and supporting victims every step of the way.”