March 2018 Man found guilty of rape after victim is forced to go to court three times A judge has praised the courage of a rape victim who was forced to come to court three times to give evidence against her abuser after his previous convictions were quashed. Karl Raine had been convicted of rape, sexual activity with a child and making indecent images of a child in 2016, but his convictions were quashed due to a “procedural irregularity”. During the previous trial an interview transcript had gone before the jury which should not have done, rendering the conviction void. A fresh trial has been heard at Norwich Crown Court and today a new jury found Raine guilty of exactly the same offences. His victim had been waiting four years for justice since Raine’s first arrest, and has had to brace to give evidence three times. A jury found Raine, 44, formerly of Warren Avenue, Fakenham, guilty of one count of rape, two of sexual activity with a child, and four counts of making and taking indecent images of a child following a four week trial. Prosecutor Duncan O’Donnell said: “They will not have known until now but they are not the first jury to have found Mr Raine guilty of all counts on this indictment. In August 2016 there was a trial on the same counts and another jury reached exactly the same verdict. “Due to a procedural irregularity in the trial those verdicts were quashed.” Raine’s home had been raided on April 24, 2014 by the Norfolk Police Safeguarding Children Online Team. It was the result of intelligence from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, and led to Raine being arrested on June 28, 2014. He was charged with six offences in April 2015 and released on police bail. But after further information came to light police returned to Raine’s home in January 2016, when he threatened officers with an imitation firearm. Discharging the jury, Judge Stephen Holt said they would have a “get out of jury service free” card – valid for the next seven years – because of the work they had put into the trial. “You have learned something in the last two or three minutes which is really quite rare,” he told them. “A previous jury came to exactly the same conclusion and convicted the defendant on all seven counts. “[The victim] had to come out and give evidence yet again. In fact it is the third time she has come to court to give evidence. The first time the defendant fell out with his legal team so that trial could not go ahead. Finally, your verdicts are exactly the same as the last jury, if that is of any comfort to you.” Raine will be sentenced on Thursday, and has been added to the sex offenders register. September 2016 Pervert jailed for 18 yrs for raping, sexually assaulting and taking indecent images of young girl A man has been jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of raping, sexually assaulting and taking indecent images of a young girl. Karl Raine, 43, formerly of Warren Avenue, Fakenham, was found guilty of one count of rape, two sexual assaults and three counts of making and taking indecent images following a two and half week trial at Norwich Crown Court. Raine had pleaded not guilty, meaning his victim had to give evidence against him during the trial; however a jury found him guilty of all six counts. After receiving intelligence from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), part of the National Crime Agency (NCA), a warrant was carried out on April 24 2014 at his address by members of Norfolk Constabulary’s Safeguarding Children Online Team (SCOLT). This warrant instigated a detailed investigation where Raine was further arrested on June 28 2014 on suspicion of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and again on July 21 2014 on suspicion of rape of a female under 13. He was charged on April 16 2015 with six offences relating to child sexual abuse and taking and making indecent images of children and was released on police bail. A second referral to the SCOLT prompted another search of Raine’s property on January 12 2016. When police arrived Raine threatened officers with what was later identified as an imitation firearm. He denied the offence but was later found guilty of causing fear or provocation of violence with an imitation firearm. Raine was sentenced on Wednesday for all the offences and was jailed for 18 years and placed on the sex offender’s register for life.