Teenage Bishop Auckland rapist caught by baby's DNA

Luke Chambers grabbed his victim and sexually assaulted her before carrying out the rape in a field near Bishop Auckland.

The teenage sex attacker was with one of his friends and one of the victim’s friends when the sickening sex attack took place.

Durham Crown Court heard how the victim’s friend was prevented from intervening while Chambers was sexually assaulting the teenager but the rape took place out of their sight when he stole her phone and she chased him to recover it.

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Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said when the defendant was initially caught by police he denied rape, but his victim allowed officers to take a sample of her baby's DNA which proved Chambers was the father.

In a victim impact statement, the teenager said she had been left traumatised by the attack but was focussing all of her energies on bringing up her child.

Miss Waugh said: “He grabbed her phone and ran away - the complainant followed him to try and get it back and it was then that he raped her. She told him to stop plenty of times but he didn’t stop. After this he gave her her phone back.”

Luke Chambers (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Chambers, now aged 18, of St Phillips Close, Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault following the attack.

Nicholas Askins, mitigating, said his client was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the attack and was being exploited by a ‘County Lines’ drugs gang.

“He had gone off the rails,” he added. “He had been estranged from his family for two months and had fallen in with a County Lines gang and became involved in drugs.”

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Recorder Jamie Hill KC sentenced the teenager to three years and nine months in a young offenders’ institute.

He said: “It has had a huge impact on her life but she has the support of her loving family. She has dedicated herself to a child she never planned to have and she has shown remarkable courage.”

Chambers was made subject of an indefinite restraining order at keep away from his victim and was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for the remainder of his life.