Indonesian jailed for life as UK’s most prolific rapist

An undated handout photograph released by Greater Manchester Police on January 6, 2020, shows Indonesian student Reynhard Sinaga, Britain's most prolific rapist. He was on January 6, 2020 jailed for life, with a minimum term of 30 years in prison, after being found to have drugged at least 48 men and filming himself sexually violating them while they were unconscious. HO/AFP/Greater Manchester Police

LONDON — An Indonesian student described as Britain's most prolific rapist was jailed for life on Monday for a catalogue of sex offenses on unsuspecting men he drugged and assaulted.

Manchester Crown Court in northwest England was told Reynhard Sinaga may have attacked as many as 195 men, luring them into his flat with the offer of a place to stay or alcohol.

Judge Suzanne Goddard described the 36-year-old from Indonesia's Jambi province as "an evil sexual predator" who preyed on drunken young men on nights out.

He is thought to have used sedatives to render his victims unconscious before filming the attacks. Most knew nothing about the assaults. He was caught only when one victim woke up.

"One of your victims described you as a monster," Goddard said. "The scale and enormity of your offending confirms this as an accurate description."

She recommended he serve at least 30 years behind bars.

Sinaga was convicted of 159 offenses, including 136 rapes and eight attempted rapes, at four separate trials, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The first trial began in June 2018. The last ended last December. None could be reported until restrictions imposed to avoid prejudicing juries were lifted on Monday.

The CPS said Sinaga was suspected of attacking "scores" more men since he moved to Britain in 2007, calling him "the worst-known sex offender in the country's history."

The deputy chief crown prosecutor for northwest England, Ian Rushton, said: "Reynhard Sinaga is the most prolific rapist in British legal history."

'Playing dead'

"His extreme sense of sexual entitlement almost defies belief and he would no doubt still be adding to his staggering tally had he not been caught.

"Sinaga's unthreatening demeanor duped these young men—many of whom thanked him for his kindness in offering them a place to stay—into thinking this monster was a Good Samaritan.

"But once back at his flat he used victims as objects purely for his own gratification —then appears to have derived further twisted pleasure from re-watching his films in court and putting victims through the trauma of giving evidence."

Sinaga, a slightly built, young-looking doctorate student, had claimed his mainly heterosexual victims were acting out his sexual fantasy to play dead during intercourse.

But four trial juries rejected his defense and a character testimony from a local church he had attended in Manchester.

He was arrested in 2017 after the victim who woke up managed to snatch his mobile phone and took it to police.

The CPS said detectives discovered 3.29 terabytes of graphic material of the sexual assaults equivalent to 250 DVDs or 300,000 photos. One of the assaults lasted for eight hours. — Agence France-Presse