A RAPIST who continued to engage in sexual activity with his victim despite being asked to stop has been locked up.

Nathaniel Mullen ‘smiled and giggled’ instead of ceasing his actions, leaving his victim feeling ‘dirty and degraded’.

The 27-year-old appeared for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to a charge of rape.

Here, the court heard that a custodial sentence was inevitable due to the nature of the crime.

Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, explained how the defendant and his male victim stayed together overnight, and in the morning, not long after waking up, the defendant instigated sexual activity in bed.

This was consensual sex at first, before the victim put his hand up to Mullen and asked him to stop on two occasions, but he said no and giggled, before continuing.

The defendant cleaned himself up and left the premises, which gave the victim time to digest what had happened.

Police were informed about the incident and heard messages sent by Mullen to a friend in which he described what had happened and said the victim ‘is probably going to get me for sexual assault’.

During his police interview, Mullen admitted that he had raped the man, and said that he did not know why he did not stop when asked.

Nathaniel Mullen was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

Nathaniel Mullen was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

An impact statement read out in court revealed how the incident made the victim feel ‘dirty and degraded’, while it also caused his mental health to ‘rapidly decline’.

He was left unable to sleep and had to take time off work.

Mr Baxter informed the court that Mullen has no previous convictions.

In defence of her client, Maria Masselis, said that he was under ‘no illusion’ that he would receive anything other than a jail sentence due to the seriousness of his crime.

She referenced his guilty plea as him taking responsibility for his actions and spoke of how she believed he could lead a ‘law-abiding life’ on his release from prison with rehabilitation.

Before sentencing, judge Gary Woodhall commented that Mullen had ‘put his own sexual desire over his victim’s safety, with devastating consequences’.

He concluded: “Rather than stopping, you said no, you smiled and giggled at him, and you continued.”

Mullen, of Longford Street in Orford, was jailed for 30 months, of which he will serve half in prison and half on licence.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offender register and was made the subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for ten years.