London-based student jailed in NI for rape after befriending girls on social media

Twenty-two-year-old Daryl Concepcion for rape appeared at Belfast Crown Court today, Friday January 15 and was sentenced to three years and six months for rape of an 18-year-old female.

He will also be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for eight years and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Detective Constable May stated: “The woman in this case displayed immense courage in seeing this investigation through to a successful conclusion. I hope that their tenacity and resolution to bring this man to justice will encourage anyone else who has experienced any form of sexual abuse to come forward to police.

“Officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland remain committed to investigating all reports of sexual offences. We will seek to place offenders before the courts so they can be made amenable for their crimes.

“I would like to take this opportunity to assure any victims of sexual abuse that they will be treated with sensitivity and respect, and I would continue to encourage anyone who has experienced any form of sexual abuse to contact police on 101, or ‘999’ in an emergency.”

In August 2017 the News Letter reported that the London-based student committed rape after arranging on social media to meet three young women in Northern Ireland.

The then 18-year-old defendant appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court accused of committing offences during a three-day trip.

Concepcion, a Filipino national of Lovell Place in London, currently only faces charges of raping and sexually assaulting one of the females between August 4-5 in 2017.

Meetings with the trio – one from Co Antrim and two from Birmingham – were said to have taken place at locations in Belfast and on the north coast.

Images and videos recovered from Concepcion’s mobile phone were being examined, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Eoghan McKenna stressed that only two of the women have made statements to police.

He said the third female has described any sex with Concepcion as consensual, adding that his client was invited by them to Northern Ireland.

Police confirmed the accused hadn’t physically known any of the females before travelling from London, but had been in social media contact with one of them for a year.

A detective said the victim had been 17 at the time, while Concepcion had been 18.

Concepcion had been due to start a tourism course after completing his A Levels.

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