An amateur photographer from the U.K. with a “straight guy fetish” will spend the next two decades in custody after being found guilty of drugging and sexual assaulting seven men.
45-year-old Nigel Wilkinson faced 13 charges, including one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, after posing as a professional fitness photographer online in an effort to lure unsuspecting straight guys into his home, where he would drug and then rape them.
“Wilkinson is a gay man who preferred to have sex with straight men without their being aware of it,” prosecutors said in court last month.
This week, Wilkinson was found guilty of nine of the 13 offenses, including one count of rape, five counts of administering a substance with intent, and three counts of voyeurism.
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According to the Lancashire Telegraph, Wilkinson opted not to attend his sentencing hearing yesterday.
His attorney, Ed Burgess, assured Judge James Patrick that his client was not showing “discourtesy” by skipping the sentencing hearing, and instead suggested his absence “might be regarded as a recognition to the inevitable in a case of this gravity and the inevitable sentence.”
“What we would ask is, whatever sentence is passed, you do not crush this man completely, rendering him useless and rendering him, ironically, more of a risk, ultimately,” Burgess pleaded.
But the judge was unmoved.
He declared Wilkinson a “dangerous” predator before sentencing him to 20 and a half years–16 and a half years behind bars with an additional four years of parole.
“The evidence now available to the court shows that you have a long-standing and entrenched sexual interest in straight men, especially those who are sleeping or drugged,” the judge declared, calling Wilkinson’s absence in court “a cowardly attitude verging on contempt for your victims.”
He went on to say Wilkinson’s crimes took “a very significant degree of planning” that included “spinning prolonged and elaborate lies about your personal life and sexual interests” and luring unsuspecting men to his home and giving them “potent drugs to render them senseless, with no memory or idea that you could be abusing them.”
After court was adjourned, Detective Inspector Larisa Hunt, who oversaw the investigation, told media: “These new convictions have further exposed the true extent and nature of Wilkinson’s offending, which has undoubtedly caused severe and lasting damage to his victims.”
“Our priority has been to seek justice for all of his victims, but the inescapable truth is some of them will never know whether they were raped or sexually assaulted by Nigel Wilkinson.”
“I’d like to personally thank each of them for their courage and willingness to support our investigation despite the emotional and psychological toll this has had on their lives.”
Related: Photographer with “straight guy fetish” accused of drugging and raping seven men, possibly more
bishonen91
justice is served
DHT
one down…thousands to go.
Chrisk
If some dude invites you over for some fitness photography and drinks you have to be the most naive fool in the world to think that sex isn’t part of it.
PinkoOfTheGange
And so they deserved to be drugged and raped?
Bryguyf69
Chrisk –
An *offer* of sex, maybe — but being drugged unconscious and raped? Not in my world. I feel sorry for you if your life experiences suggest that such behavior is to be expected.
DHT
wow…this really shows where your mind is. For most people it wouldn’t even cross their minds that sex was included with a photo session.
Ed
Always someone who tries to justify inexcusable behavior and blame the victims
Chrisk
I’m just pointing something out. I’m not excusing the drugging of these guys in any way though.
Hussain-TheCanadian
What peevs me the most about stories/crimes like this is used by our enemies to spread hatred, propaganda, and violence against our community.
PinkoOfTheGange
Yup.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Despite the fact that the overwhelming percentage of sexual abusers are straight. ..
DHT
How about we cut the enemies off and start using stories like this to spread awareness of date rape within the gay community? By the time I came out I was so relieved, I certainly never expected this from other gay men.
Hussain-TheCanadian
@DHT
We are spreading awareness, that’s why queerty keeps on posting these stories. That still doesn’t negate that our enemies will still use these stories against us. I’m just expressing my sadness and anger that this fact sucks.
Also I have no idea why you are linking coming out to what I said above or even its relevance to the article?
DHT
“rape is funny if you haven’t had it. And if you weren’t raped, remember this–you ugly.” – Bianca Del Rio
Young guys coming out need to know that that statement about sums the attitude towards rape in the gay community. Maybe our enemies are using these stories against us for good reason?
inbama
“ ‘The evidence now available to the court shows that you have a long-standing and entrenched sexual interest in straight men, especially those who are sleeping or drugged,’ the judge declared,”
So it would’ve been fine if the victims were gay? Some judge.