Yeovil man jailed for rape of woman he met via dating app

A 38-year-old man from Yeovil has been sentenced to over four years in prison after being convicted of raping a woman he met through a dating app in 2023.

Leon Walker denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury in July following a trial at Taunton Crown Court. He was sentenced on Friday, 11 September, to four years and three months' imprisonment.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Walker arranged to meet the victim at her home after meeting her on a dating app. While initial sexual activity was consensual, he went on to rape her subsequently. The victim reported the incident to Avon and Somerset Police, prompting an investigation by the force’s rape and serious sexual offences team, Operation Bluestone.

Walker was charged with three counts of rape and pleaded not guilty, asserting that all the sexual encounters were consensual. However, the jury found him guilty of one count of rape and acquitted him of the other two.

In a personal statement read at sentencing, the victim described the profound impact the assault had on her life. She said, “Before this happened, I was an open and trusting person. This incident left me unable to trust people as I used to. I had to rebuild my confidence in meeting new people and became far more sceptical and wary than before. For a while, I avoided dating and meeting anyone altogether. When I was eventually able to meet new people, I found myself on higher alert and more cautious than I previously needed to be.”

PC Jake Whatley, the lead investigator, praised the victim’s bravery in coming forward and assisting throughout the investigation. He emphasised the importance of consent, highlighting that it can be withdrawn at any time. PC Whatley said, “Being in a consensual relationship or consenting to one sexual act does not mean consent is given for every other act. Everyone has the right to say no, and that decision must be respected.”