Kristian John Franks, the York Rapist, 35, was sentenced today, Thursday, 30 October, at York Crown Court to eight years and nine months after being convicted following a trial.
Kristian John Franks was granted an extended licence for fourteen years and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for twenty years.
The initial victim and the accused saw each other serendipitously at a pub on 14 May 2017. The victim declined Kristian John Franks’s invitation to his residence after they shared a taxi. Upon arriving at her address, she realised that Kristian John Franks had pursued the cab in his van. He subsequently transported her to a remote site where he sexually assaulted her after she declined to engage in sexual intercourse. The victim informed her step-brother about the event, prompting a call to the police.
Kristian John Franks was apprehended but refuted the allegation, asserting that all activities were consensual. The victim subsequently retracted her agreement to proceed with the investigation, resulting in the case being dismissed.
On 6 September 2023, Leah Bedford, aged 16, was assaulted by Kristian John Franks on Scarcroft Road, York. Witnesses reported that Leah was entirely oblivious to her surroundings, and Kristian John Franks informed another witness that he was acquainted with her and would escort her home. Kristian John Franks transported Leah to a location in York where he sexually assaulted and subsequently raped her. Leah successfully escaped, signalled to a passing driver, and was sent to the hospital owing to injuries incurred during the assault.
Leah was unfamiliar with her assailant. The Major Investigation Team initiated an inquiry, successfully identifying Kristian John Franks through his vehicle, which led to his arrest the next day.
Kristian John Franks refuted any allegations of misconduct and reiterated that his activities were voluntary. He faced two charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault by penetration, and was subsequently remanded into custody.
Following Kristian John Franks’ arrest, investigators from the Cold Case Review Team reevaluated the 2017 case and observed the same conditions. Officers reached out to the victim to deliberate on the possibility of reopening the case. The victim, aware that Kristian John Franks was accused of Leah’s rape, felt empowered to re-engage with the investigation. The victim said that she retracted her report due to receiving threats, which she was afraid to mention to the police at that time.
The 2017 case was officially reopened, more enquiries were conducted, and then presented to the CPS, which sanctioned a charge of rape against Kristian John Franks.
Leah was reported missing on 20 September 2023, and her body was discovered in the River Ouse in York eight days later. Following her demise and the complications surrounding permission, Leah’s case was dismissed in court, resulting in Kristian John Franks’s acquittal and subsequent release from custody. He has not been found guilty of the charge.
Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Rose successfully petitioned HHJ Morris, the Recorder of York, to admit Leah’s case as Bad Character evidence in the 2017 case. The probability of coincidence was distinctly low, given that two unrelated women made analogous charges against the same individual. Although the 2017 case was robust, it was acknowledged that Leah’s evidence would considerably augment the overall evidential framework. The witnesses in Leah’s case were summoned to provide testimony during the trial, and her VRI was presented to the jury.
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