A traveller in his 20s who pretended to be much younger when he befriended two teenage girls has been found guilty of raping them.
Barry Price, now 24, used social media to contact a 16-year-old girl from Hemel Hempstead and, the following week a 15-year-old from Worksop in Nottinghamshire, Luton crown court was told.
Prosecutor David Matthew said: “Barry Price was 23 at the time. He pretended to be much younger. Keep in mind the two teenage girl did not know each other. They had no idea each other existed.”
Mr Matthew said Barry Price pretended to be his 19-year-old cousin to set up a meeting with the girl, who also comes from a traveller family, in Hemel Hempstead.
He said he arrived in a Mondeo with a cousin. He drove her around, smoked cannabis and inhaled laughing gas.
Whilst in the car it was alleged he was waving a large machete around. The jury was told he drove to a field, made her put her phone on airplane mode and got into the back where he raped her.
They went to a relative’s flat where he is said to have he groped the girl, saying she was his woman. When her sister rang Price is alleged to have said they had ”run away.”
Price is said to have taken her to his chalet in Gamlingay where he raped her twice more and got her to indulge in sexually activity.
The next day he dropped her off at Sandy railway station to make her own way home, said Mr Matthew. He told her: “Good luck getting home.”
On November 7, 2019, Price met a 15-year-old girl from Worksop, who again believed he was the 17-year-old boy from Facebook. He had posed as a 17-year-old to chat with her. He said: “Are you looking for a boyfriend?”
She replied: “Not looking for one but if the right person are along. Yeah.” When he saw pictures of her he said: “You are a very good looking girl.”
He took her to the same property in Gamlingay, where he also put her phone on ‘airplane mode’ and subjected her to sexual assault and rape. When she tried to leave, he threatened her, and smashed her mobile phone.
He dropped her off at Sandy station where she called the police. Barry Price of St James Close, Houghton Regis faced eleven charges.
In relation to the first alleged victim he was convicted of three charges of rape, three of sexual assault and one of false imprisonment. He admitted having a blade.
They were said to have taken place between October 27 and 30 last year. He was convicted of raping the second victim and falsely imprisoning her between November 5 and 8 last year. He admitted having a blade.
When arrested he said:”I would like to know who has been raped because I haven’t had sex with anyone except my wife.
“I ain’t slept with any girl. I have got a wife and a little kid.”
He is due to be sentenced on January 15.
Detective Sergeant Clare Gilbert who led this investigation, said: “Price deliberately hid his true identity and used social media to gain access to young girls.
“Believing him to be of a similar age to them, he used their youth and naivety to gain their trust, then forced himself on them multiple times, despite their pleas for him to stop.
“He prevented them from seeking help, and pressured them into complying with his depraved demands, using threats of violence if they resisted.
“He now faces a considerable prison sentence for his terrifying and degrading actions against two young girls.
“It cannot have been easy to report what he did to them, and they have shown great courage to come forward and tell us, and I thank them for their strength.
“I truly hope that Price’s conviction will bring them some comfort and, with support, allow them in time to move past what has happened.”
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