A Wiltshire couple groomed a young woman before she was raped in their hot tub.
James Owen, 55 and his partner Ellen Rea, formerly Ellen Oades, 52, jointly preyed on an 18-year-old in Salisbury between January and February 2021.
Winchester Crown Court heard that Owen – a personal trainer – first sexually assaulted the teenager under the guise of training sessions.
A jury was told that over a number of weeks, the evil duo exchanged text messages outlining their intentions to abuse the woman.
On 6 February 2021, they invited their victim to their home for dinner – where they plied her with alcohol and persuaded her to join them in a hot tub.
It was there that the woman was raped by Owen and sexually assaulted by Rea.
At the conclusion of a nine-day trial today (Friday), Owen was convicted of rape, two counts of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.
Rea was found guilty of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.
Owen was sentenced to eight years in custody and Rea was sentenced to two years.
Detective Constable Martyn Powell said: “James Owen and Ellen Rea conspired to abuse the trust of a young woman.
“Their horrendous actions were fuelled by their own selfish desires, without for a moment considering the long-lasting consequences that this abuse would have on their victim.
“I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the young woman who worked with us to help bring these two offenders to justice and hope that she is able to find some solace in the lengthy custodial sentences that have been handed down today.”
