Ched Evans: Two charged over naming of rape victim

Two people have been charged with revealing the identity of a woman raped by footballer Ched Evans online, the Crown Prosecution said.

Dominic Green, 23, from Rhyl and Alexandra Hewitt, 24, from Broughton are accused of publishing a matter likely to lead members of the public to identify the complainant.

They are the first charges after police made a number of arrests following the conclusion of the footballer's court case in April.

Green and Hewitt have been bailed to appear before Prestatyn Magistrates' Court on November 5.

Jim Brisbane, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Cymru-Wales, said: "One further suspect - who is under the age of 18 and thus cannot be named - has been issued with a final warning by North Wales Police.

"Evidence relating to a number of other suspects has been presented to us as part of this investigation and our evidential reviews are continuing."

Former Sheffield United and Wales striker Evans was jailed for five years at Caernarfon Crown Court on April 20 for raping a 19-year-old woman in a Rhyl hotel room.

Evans admitted having sex with her, but the woman told the jury that she had no memory of the incident - and the prosecution argued that she was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

Following the conclusion of the trial, the victim was allegedly named and subjected to abuse on Twitter and other social networking websites.

More than a dozen arrests were made, with North Wales Police saying the alleged online comments were "profoundly disturbing" and contributed to the victim's "continued trauma".

Police also met staff at Sky News after the broadcaster inadvertently published the woman's name.

The law gives the victims and alleged victims of rape and other sexual offences lifelong anonymity.

PA