'Catfish' rapist jailed after tricking young women into sending naked selfies using fake Facebook profile

'The victims in this case have shown real strength of character and fortitude by both assisting our investigation and providing evidence to the court'

Rhys Miller-Offiong, 24, of Catford, southeast London, has been jailed for 15 years after using fake social media profiles to convince young women to send him intimate images before blackmailing them and raping one victim. (Metropolitan Police)

A rapist who used fake social media profiles to lure young women into sending him intimate images of themselves before blackmailing them has been jailed.

Rhys Miller-Offiong, 24, ‘catfished’ his victims by posing as a white man on Facebook and dating website Plenty of Fish, where he befriended them and convinced them to send him naked selfies.

He persuaded one of his victims, a 19-year-old woman, to send him intimate images before arranging to meet with her.

When she arrived, and realised Miller-Offiong was not who she thought she had been speaking to online, he threatened to send the images to her friends and family if she refused to go with him.

The teenager went with him to an address in Catford on 24 August, 2017, where she was raped.

She reported the offence to police who managed to track Miller-Offiong down through his social media profiles.

The investigation led detectives to discover two other young women had been snared by Miller-Offiong online and tricked into sending him compromising images and videos of themselves.

Miller-Offiong, of Muirkirk Road, Catford, southeast London, pleaded guilty to one count of rape, one count of blackmail, four counts of distributing indecent images of a child, three counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress, and one count of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

A further count of rape and attempted rape were ordered to lie on file.

He was jailed for 15 years with a four-year extended licence at Woolwich Crown Court.

On his release, he will be made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for an indefinite period and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Paul Harakis, of the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: “Miller-Offiong is a predatory sex offender who has drawn unsuspecting girls into his sexual trap via social media.

“The victims in this case have shown real strength of character and fortitude by both assisting our investigation and providing evidence to the court which left Miller-Offiong with little option than to plead guilty.

“I would like to praise their bravery and courage in coming forward and I hope it gives them some form of closure now that Miller-Offiong is behind bars.”