A Brazilian national who raped a 17-year-old boy after approaching him on a street bench during a holiday visit to Brighton has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, following a trial at which he was convicted on four counts of rape.
Rafael Nascimento, 38, was in the seaside city as a tourist last August when he encountered the teenager sitting alone on Dyke Road in the early hours of the morning. Using a request for directions to a nearby cigarette shop as an opening, Nascimento accompanied the boy before, according to police, deliberately working to gain his trust. He subsequently led the teenager to a property on Regent Hill, where the assault took place.
The victim reported the attack to police the same day, enabling officers to locate and arrest Nascimento before he was due to board a flight back to Brazil the following morning. Sussex Police have since acknowledged that any delay in reporting could have allowed him to leave the country and evade justice entirely.
Following a two-week trial at Lewes Crown Court, Nascimento was found guilty in February of four counts of rape and causing a person to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced on Friday, 17 April.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Cobbett, the senior investigating officer on the case, paid tribute to the victim’s conduct throughout. “Their bravery in reporting the offence promptly played a crucial role in helping us swiftly identify, locate, and apprehend a dangerous predator,” he said. “Had the victim delayed reporting what happened, there is every possibility that Nascimento could have left the country before we had the chance to arrest him and bring him to justice.”
DCI Cobbett added that he hoped the sentence would offer the victim some degree of closure and support his continued recovery. He also used the occasion to highlight the broader issue of under-reporting among male victims of sexual violence. “Sexual offences can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, and it is vital that all victims feel able to come forward,” he said. “Offences against men remain under-reported, often because of fear, embarrassment, or stigma.”
Nascimento, who had been staying near the scene of the attack at the time of the offence, will now serve his sentence in the United Kingdom.
