A "REMORSELESS" rapist who exploited a teenage girl forcing her to be have sex in the woods - while on bail for a Lancashire rape - has been jailed for 13 years.

Joshua Corless, 22, raped a young woman on January 11, 2020, after night out with friends in Ormskirk, West Lancashire.

He offered to take the victim home safely but instead raped her.

She reported the attack to police and Corless, from Widnes, Cheshire, was arrested. He denied the offence, claiming it was consensual.

While on bail for that offence he committed a further offence, luring a girl, 16, to a wooded area near Widnes where he forced her to have sex with another man without her consent.

Corless filmed the whole thing and uploaded the shocking footage to TikTok. One person who saw the video alerted the victim to its existence and later contacted police.

Corless was arrested and charged with taking and distributing indecent images of children and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

For the first offence, the Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with Lancashire Police to build a strong case and he eventually pleaded guilty to rape at the trial last September.

However, he did not admit his vile offending until his victim had been put through the trauma of police interview and giving evidence in person in court, albeit behind screens so she did not have to see her attacker.

He was convicted of the second offence after a trial on February 10.

In a victim personal statement, the first victim said that she has struggled with anxiety and sleeping since the incident.

She added: “I feel on edge, I have avoided going outside and I flinch if someone comes too close to me."

Following the imprisonment of Corless for more than a dozen years, Senior Crown Prosecutor Brett Gerrity, a specialist lawyer with the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit of CPS North West, said: “Joshua Corless exploited a young woman in order to have sex with her when she was very clearly unable to give her consent.

"Showing no remorse, he then put the victim through the experience of giving evidence at a criminal trial, before entering his guilty plea.

“Six months later he committed further sexual offences against a different young woman and again, he showed no remorse and took the case to trial. He is clearly a dangerous predator and poses a risk to women.

“Both these incidents were extremely distressing for the women involved. They have shown great courage throughout the investigation and prosecution, which has enabled us to bring Corless to justice for his sickening actions.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor Simon Pover, a specialist lawyer with the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit of CPS Mersey Cheshire, added: “The Crown Prosecution Service would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim of this offending for having the courage to engage with the police and CPS to bring Corless to justice.

“He callously and cruelly orchestrated an horrific situation which he shared in the form of a TikTok video  and via Snapchat.

"Some of the recipients of this material were alarmed and concerned for the young victim who was then supported in engaging with police.

"That was exactly the right response and led to Corless being sent to prison, where he belongs.  His actions showed a total lack of respect for the victim and objectified her for his own gratification."