Record details
Richard Raper, 49, of Kilnsea Grove, east Hull, admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order after being found in Hull’s Scarborough Street red light district in the early hours, despite an indefinite court ban on entering the area between 9pm and 7am.
Raper, a registered sex offender, was located at 12.50am in a dead-end alleyway within the exclusion zone. He told police he had gone there to use the toilet, but no evidence supported this. A purple sex toy was seized from him, and a blue rope was found nearby, though there was insufficient evidence linking the rope to him. He was arrested and taken to Clough Road police station.
In interview, Raper confirmed he understood the conditions of the order and knew he was prohibited from the area. Prosecuting counsel Holly Thompson told Hull Crown Court that Raper had been “endeavouring” to meet a woman for sexual activity. She noted his history of non-compliance, including multiple previous breaches.
Raper was convicted in May 1997 of three sexual offences—two indecent assaults and one indecent exposure—against female sex workers. The sexual harm prevention order was imposed by Hull magistrates in July 2020 and remains in force indefinitely. He has 15 previous convictions between 1997 and 2020, including repeated breaches of the order.
Judge Gurdial Singh described the latest breach as deliberate and the sixth of its kind, though the first since 2020. He told Raper: “You knew that you should not be there. That’s what makes it so serious.” The judge said Raper was “frustrated” and seeking to engage a sex worker, adding that those working in the area “are entitled to be protected.” No one was approached on this occasion.
No mitigation was offered after an indication of sentence. Raper received an 18-month community order with a probation requirement and was ordered to pay a £114 victims’ surcharge.
