A predatory offender who raped teenage girls he met on social media has been jailed after detectives supported victims to come forward and give evidence against him.
Kevarnie Queen, 19 (03.05.04) of Barrington Road, Brixton was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment with an additional four years on licence during a hearing at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, 18 December. He was previously convicted of 22 counts of rape following a trial at the same court.
Detective Constable Jennie Seward, one of the investigating officers, said: “The six women in this case – five of whom were aged just 15 at the time of the offences – have shown incredible bravery, not only in initially coming forward to police but in giving evidence at court which proved vital in bringing Queen to justice.
“No-one who heard their personal statements can fail to be horrified by the impact Queen’s crimes have had on their lives, and we do not underestimate the effect this will have on them in the years to come.
“There is no doubt their actions will have prevented similar crimes against other women. We are pleased Queen is now behind bars and unable to cause any further harm.”
Queen had met all but one of the six victims on social media where he groomed the girls before going on to rape them. He was just 15 when he carried out the first offence in 2019. On many occasions, Queen manipulated his victims, making them think the sexual abuse was a normal part of being in a relationship.
On 7 June 2022, Queen was arrested on suspicion of rape after a report was made to police. This was not the first time that allegations had been made around Queen but it was only on this occasion that the victim had wanted to support a criminal investigation.
Detectives went back to those they believed may have previously been victims, who then agreed to support the criminal case.
The investigation included hundreds of hours analysing communications between Queen and the victims, providing an insight into how he treated them as well as his general lack of respect towards women.
Multiple witness statements obtained from friends, family members and various third parties helped demonstrate the impact the offences had on the victims both at the time and now, years later.
During the criminal process, each of the victims was assigned a specially trained officer to be their point of contact throughout the investigation and during the trial. This officer was responsible for keeping them up to date with the progress of the investigation, answering any questions they had, and making referrals to support agencies.
They were also offered special measures for the trial, such as pre-recording their evidence, or giving evidence via live link or from behind a screen, to enable them to feel as comfortable as possible throughout the court proceedings.
Detective Constable Lena Kraemer, who also worked on the investigation said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that sexual predators who make our streets unsafe for women and girls are placed before the courts. We can’t do that alone. If you have been the victim of a sexual offence and have not yet spoken to police, we urge you to do so; at the very least so we can ensure that you are being supported.
“We understand that supporting a police investigation for sexual assault is a daunting prospect but with police and professional support we can ensure your voice is heard.
“If you have any information about sexual predators please inform police directly or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers. This all helps us build a picture to prevent and detect crime.”
