Wimbledon Hotel Worker Is Guilty Of Rape

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Court hears he raped a man after a job interview

A Wimbledon man has been sentenced to six years in prison for rape after being found guilty of raping a man during a job interview.

Sebastian Szerer, aged 39, of Alexander Road, Wimbledon, was Head House Keeper of a Westminster hotel when the offence was carried out.

The Old Bailey heard that Szerer raped the 25-year-old man at the Rubens Hotel, Buckingham Palace Road, SW1, on April 15, 2012, when he went there for the interview for a job.

He conducted the interview and then showed the victim around the hotel.

The court heard he then took him the Queen's Suite at the hotel. Szerer then locked the room and proceeded to rape the victim.

The victim kept the assault secret for a year until Szerer sent him a message on a social networking site stating "hello stranger".

It was this message prompted the victim to attend Victim Support and tell them about the rape.

They then encouraged him to contact the police.

On April 23, 2013, Szerer was arrested and subsequently charged. He was jailed today (July 29).

Investigating officer, Detective Inspector Lee Davison, of Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "Szerer abused his position as Head House Keeper.

"He purposely lured the victim to the hotel on the pretext of a job interview that didn't exist. He then raped him. Thankfully he has been found guilty and I praise the victim today for his decision to report this rape to the police.

"The Metropolitan Police's Sexual Offences Exploitation & Child Abuse Command will pursue all such offenders to bring them to justice and I would encourage anyone who has suffered at the hand of another to report the matter in the knowledge that they will be believed and supported."

July 29, 2015