What happened to 24 Hours in Police Custody's nightclub predator
24 Hours in Police Custody's latest two-part episode focused on the harrowing case of a serial rapist who deliberately preyed on vulnerable women at night-time, enticing them to his 'after-parties' where he'd film himself sexually abusing them while they were unconscious.
Craig France, 34, was well known in and around the Peterborough area. He was a regular in the town's pubs and nightclubs, especially at weekends — a party boy persona that hid his deepest and darkest secrets.
The Mirror takes a look at exactly what has happened to the vile criminal ever since his arrest on the hit Channel 4 programme.
Craig France case details
In the chilling first episode, it was recalled how the investigation first started. One caller had claimed she was raped by France, but had little to no memory of exactly what transpired.
Cambridgeshire Police would go on to arrest the 34-year-old and execute a search of his home address. They found 10 digital recording devices which had video footage of the alleged victim, incapacitated, being dragged in and out of the hot tub located in his rear garden.
Then a second young woman would come forward with similar allegations. Despite not remembering the incident entirely, the victim - who was 18-years-old at the time of the alleged crime - recalls meeting "good friend" France at a nightclub, and how many times they, along with other people, would end up back at his home.
She remembers at times waking up with lower stomach pain, as well as bleeding and bad cramps, and France would later send her footage of them engaging in sexual contact. Something she could not remember.
In total, police obtained thousands of images and over 4,000 videos containing France and several victims off his numerous devices. Officers then had the difficult task of telling the other women identified in the clips.
Where is Craig France now?
France would go on to plead guilty in March this year, admitting to sexual offences against four women, including rape and assault, and was sentenced to 10 years and seven months in incarceration. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would also enact a forfeiture and destruction order for his many devices.
Andrew Young, from the CPS, explained: "Craig France is a deplorable predator who targeted young women and established their trust before ruthlessly exploiting them. By filming and photographing the offences, France built up and extensive set of images which were stored in his phone, all kept for his own sexual gratification, he and he alone is to blame for his disgusting offending.
"Determined to seek justice for the brave women he abused, the CPS worked closely with Cambridgeshire Police to demonstrate the extent of his offending and built a set of charges which gave France little option to plead guilty to. The bravery and resilience shown by his victims during this process has been extraordinary, and we hope they feel justice has been served for them.
"The CPS will continue to work tirelessly to pursue those who commit sexual abuse and hold them accountable for their crimes, including asking the court that any relevant devices and images obtained as part of the offending are forfeited and destroyed."
Raising awareness
Detective Chief Inspector Helen Tebbit, along with her team who featured on 24 Hours in Police Custody, said in a statement: "Firstly, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the victims, who, despite their ordeals, supported the investigation and bravely shared their stories on 24 Hours in Police Custody. This programme will show that sexual predators can cleverly disguise their depraved behaviours — victims may not realise they are being groomed.
"France portrayed himself as everyone's best friend — caring, fun, and provided what his victims thought was a safe place to party. But in reality, he preyed on young women who had barely entered adulthood for his own sexual gratification. I would encourage anyone who thinks they might've been a victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 or via web chat on the force website."
Authorities believe there are more unidentified victims of France's out there, and there's hope the two-part episode will help raise awareness and give them enough bravery to come forward.
Speaking to the BBC, Tebbit remarked: "I don't think we will ever fully understand how many victims there are of Craig France. But I do think that there are likely more victims out there. I hope that anyone watching the programme sees that we have a team of specially trained officers who who will work tirelessly to ensure we do the very best for victims of serious sexual violence and hopefully that comes across."
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