Life sentence for Wellingborough rapist who attacked man he pretended to be helping

A convicted Wellingborough sex offender who raped a young man he pretended to help has been handed a life sentence.

Anthony Bassett, 42, approached his victim outside a pub and led him away under the guise of helping him.

But instead he took him to Croyland Park where he punched him repeatedly in the face, violently grabbed his genitals and orally raped him.

Bassett, who has previous convictions for rape and other sexual offences, committed the rape while on bail.

On March 18 he was sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury at Northampton Crown Court found him guilty of one count of rape of a man aged 16 or over, one count of causing a male aged 13 or over to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity and one count of sexual assault.

He must serve a minimum term of 86 months before he can be considered for parole.

The court heard that Bassett, of Midland Road, was arrested by police hours after a young man reported that he had been attacked in the town at about 4am on July 15 last year.

The victim had escaped through the park’s brook and later that day reported his ordeal to police.

A fast-track investigation was launched which enabled the identification of Bassett as a suspect. When he went back to the same pub on the evening of July 15 he was spotted and reported to police who then arrested him.

Appearing via videolink from prison, Bassett was told by a judge that he would ‘never not be a risk to others’.

He will be subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely .

Investigating officer Detective Constable Victoria Thomas said: “Anthony Bassett is a dangerous man, and I am so pleased that the severity of his horrific offending has been recognised with a life sentence.

“After Bassett was identified as a suspect, our team worked day and night to secure the evidence to enable him to be charged and remanded as quickly as possible, due to our concerns about the risk he posed.

“Despite his attempts to lie and explain away what happened that night, the evidence clearly showed his calculated and predatory behaviour in taking advantage of a young man and brutally attacking him.

“Throughout this investigation and trial the victim survivor has been so brave. I’m over the moon that his courage has been borne out with such a strong sentence, which I hope can help him in dealing with the ongoing effects of what Bassett did to him.

“Those who seek to take advantage or harm others have no place in our communities, and Northamptonshire Police is committed to bringing those responsible for sexual violence to justice.”