LONDON (AP) — A man described as “the most prolific rapist in British legal history” has been sentenced to life in prison with a possible release after 30 years following his conviction for sexual offenses against 48 men.
Authorities said the evidence against 36-year-old Reynhard Sinaga indicates he had many more victims, with roughly 195 men apparently having been filmed while being abused when they were in his apartment. Many were unconscious at the time.
Judge Suzanne Goddard said in Manchester Crown Court the true number of Sinaga's victims may never be known.
“You are an evil serial sexual predator who has preyed upon young men who came into the city center wanting nothing more than a good night out with their friends," she said. “One of your victims described you as a monster. The scale and enormity of your offending confirms this as an accurate description."
She said the courts had rarely if ever seen such a prolonged “campaign of rape." Reporting restrictions that had prevented the publication of Sinaga's name were lifted Monday.
Prosecutors say Sinaga had a non-threatening manner. He befriended young men, including many who were intoxicated after a night out, and offered them a place to stay at his apartment. He filmed many of the forced sexual encounters.
Prosecutor Ian Rushton said many victims initially thanked Sinaga for offering them accommodation.
“But once back at his flat, he used victims as objects purely for his own gratification," Rushton said.
Sinaga arrived in Britain from his native Indonesia on a student visa in 2007. He received two degrees in sociology and planning from the University of Manchester and was studying for his PhD at the University of Leeds when he was suspended following his arrest in 2017.
His thesis was called: “Sexuality and everyday transnationalism. South Asian gay and bisexual men in Manchester."
His Manchester church offered a statement in support of his character that did not seem to sway the judge.
“It is almost beyond belief that someone who could profess some Christian faith could at the same time have been committing such wicked and evil crimes," she said.
Ignite works to recruit and train women to run for elected office.
As a part of Cheddar News' celebration of Women's History Month, CEO Sara Guillermo joins Cheddar Politics to discuss her organization's work ahead of the 2022 midterms.
Awards season is underway and the Oscars are right around the corner.
But with the 'best picture' nominees barely breaking the box-office bank, why do we tune in to hours-long broadcasts for movies we don't even watch? The answer is we don’t. Ratings for award shows have plummeted in recent years but it seems everything these organizations do to try and keep viewers isn’t working. This year the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences decided the answer was to cut eight awards from the live broadcast to help with time. Now it’s facing backlash from nearly every angle in the industry. Cheddar's own JD Durkin reports.
Uber Lyft and Doordash are all set to spend $1 million dollars on a campaign and efforts to stop lawmakers from classifying their gig workers as employees. The campaign features TV and online ads highlighting Washington area workers who say they prefer the flexibility of being an independent contractor rather than following the model of a company employee. Professor at NYU. Stern School of Business and author of the sharing economy, Arun Sundararajan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Rachel Van Nortwick, CEO and Founder of Vinylly, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how this dating app is designed with music lovers in mind, pairing matches based on each individual's unique taste in music.
Russia expands its attacks on Ukraine, baseball players and owners cut a deal, and the age-old question: should New Jerseyians pump their own gas? Here is all the news you Need2Know for Friday, March 11, 2022.
The Broadway musical “Six” tells the stories of the six wives of King Henry VIII, featuring a diverse cast and musical crew comprised entirely of women. Andrea Macasaet, starring as Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, joined Cheddar News to talk about what theatergoers can expect from the new musical take on English history. "You have a group of women from different walks of life retelling the story of these women in history, these queens, and they're far beyond the moments of their marriage, or their divorce — or their beheadings," she said.
In this edition of Tik Talk, musicians use tech to make songs with plants. The process turns electrodes in the plants into musical notes and the results just might blow your mind.
