Craig Meredith: Predatory rapist who pretended to be 'ghost' possessing his victim jailed for 33 years

A 'predatory' rapist who pretended to be a 'ghost' which had possessed his victim has been jailed. Craig Meredith, 50, manipulated vulnerable young children and adults with learning disabilities over a 32 year period, police said.

In 2019, he raped a woman under the guise of a 'paranormal entity' which had possessed her. Police said Meredith, of Leeds, West Yorkshire, said he had committed a 'catalogue of crimes' against children and vulnerable adults from 1987, when he was just 14.

He was found guilty of 38 offences including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching at Leeds Crown Court. He was jailed on Friday (November 17) for 33 years - made up of 30 years custody with a three-year extended licence. The offences covered a period from 1987 to 2019.

Detective Inspector Vikki Daniel-Thomas, of Leeds District Safeguarding, said: “The level of harm that Meredith has caused to such a large number of victims over a very long period of time is truly appalling.  He is clearly someone of a predatory nature who presents a very significant danger to children and vulnerable adults, and we hope it will give the victims some reassurance to know he has finally had to answer for his actions and has received a significant term of imprisonment."

Detective Inspector Daniel-Thomas added: “This was a complex and challenging investigation where the diligent work of the officers in the case, Detective Constable Julie Arnott and Detective Constable Paul Ashton, has resulted in this positive outcome for the victims. Serious sexual offending such as this will always attract the highest level of investigation by specialist safeguarding officers to ensure that offenders like Meredith are brought to justice.  We hope the successful conclusion of this case will help to give victims of other similar offences to confidence to come forward.”