Violent serial rapist who targeted teens and tourists jailed for 20 years

A rapist who carried out a string of violent sex attacks on women has been jailed for 20 years.

Clinton Ferreira, 38, attacked a teenager celebrating her exam results and a visiting tourist, and then raped a woman he had offered to help.

He strangled two of his victims until they were unconscious and then filmed the attacks on his mobile phone so he could “relive the experience”.

Truro Crown Court heard the attacks were carried out over a three-month period from August last year in St Ives, Cornwall.

South African-born Ferreira waited for his first victim to be alone and sexually assaulted her on a deserted beach.

Three weeks later he attempted to rape a lone tourist in a tent and the following month, while claiming to be helping a drunk woman, led her to his flat where he raped her.

Ferreira, of Tregenna Place, St Ives had denied all charges he faced but was convicted following a trial.

He was found guilty of false imprisonment, assault by penetration, two charges of attempting to choke/suffocate a victim with intent to commit rape, attempted rape, taking indecent photographs of a child, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and rape.

One of Ferreira’s victims described in a statement to the court her terror at being strangled, and said it had devastated her life.

“I felt paralysed and I kept asking myself, how long does he need to kill me? This question terrorises me daily,” she said.

“I’ve had some counselling but I am still psychologically damaged by the whole incident.”

The first victim told the court: “I do not walk alone after dark and don’t want to go out in the daytime, yet alone at night.

“During the attack I feared for my life and genuinely feared I was going to be raped and murdered.”

Another victim said she had suffered nightmares afterwards and found it hard to sleep, barricading furniture against her bedroom door.

“I used to enjoy going for walks at night and sitting on the beach and I can’t face doing this anymore because I feel unsafe,” she added.

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Ramsay Quaife, defending, said Ferreira now admitted attacking the women.

“He knows he’s hurt people and now he is going to have to pay for it,” he added.

Judge Simon Carr said Ferreira posed a “very significant danger” to women and he was imposing an extended sentence to protect the public.

The judge said police found over 200 hours of violent adult pornography on a computer at Ferreira’s home, as well as recordings of meetings with other women.

Ferreira was jailed for 20 years and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.