A well-known musician in the Midlands, United Kingdom, Cassius Povey, 29, has been jailed for taking advantage of impressionable girls over a six-year period between 2010 and 2016.
The court heard Povey, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was arrested in July 2020 after officers were alerted to his crimes by a Facebook post.
A court heard the serial sexual predator plied some of the teenagers with drugs and booze after winning their trust as a ‘prominent and popular musician’.
He befriended the schoolgirls, who were fans of his music, on Facebook before going on to rape or sexually abuse eight of them when they were only 14 or 15.
Povey also raped another woman, aged 19, in a park before he was caught when one of his victims spoke out on Facebook, and police were alerted.
Other girls commented on the post saying they had also been abused at the hands of Povey, who was arrested and charged with a string of 19 sex offences.
The musician was found guilty following a trial of two counts of raping a woman over the age of 16 and six counts of raping a girl aged 13, 14, or 15.
He had already pleaded guilty to the nine counts of sexual activity with a child, grooming a child under 16, and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
Povey was jailed for 17 years and will spend a further three on an extended licence after being sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Brown said Povey had shown no remorse and had ‘controlled and manipulated’ the girls to satisfy his sexual desires.
He said: ‘All of the victims, in this case, have found you to be manipulative and cunning, and I have found that is just the type of person you are.’
In police interviews, Povey claimed that he thought all the girls were 16 or over at the time of the offences, and that the sexual activity was all consensual.
But during an investigation by Leicestershire Police, further crimes committed by Povey were uncovered against girls aged 13 to 15.
Speaking after sentencing, Detective Constable Kev Sharkey, from Leicestershire Police, said: ‘While this sentence will not change the experiences these young girls went through, I hope the fact that Povey will be behind bars for such a significant amount of time, offers some comfort.
‘The sentencing today has been at the end of a long court process and all the survivors have shown incredible strength, patience and dignity throughout.
‘Their evidence has strengthened the case against Povey, making sure he serves the time behind bars that he deserves.’
Matthew Thomas, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: ‘Cassius Povey preyed relentlessly on young, vulnerable girls, taking advantage of their vulnerability.
‘He knew his lifestyle as a musician, with a wide circle of friends, would be appealing and he exploited this.
‘Despite appearing friendly and even empathetic, he had no thought for the well-being of his victims, taking what he wanted from them regardless of the impact on their young lives.
‘His age and status put him in a position of trust to these young people, which he abused, ruthlessly grooming them and taking steps to convince them that he was not abusing them.
‘We have set out to demonstrate that in all these instances there was no consent, regardless of what happened between them beforehand or afterwards.
‘These survivors have had to revisit some of the darkest times in their lives.
‘Povey’s actions had a profound impact on them and I am grateful that they have come forward, explained the awful reality of what happened to them and that we have been able to show Cassius Povey for what he is – a serious sexual predator.
‘Today’s sentence reflects the level of manipulation and abuse these survivors suffered at Cassius Povey’s hands.’
