Boy who appeared on Supernanny detained for rape Published duration 17 January

image copyright Suffolk Police/Ricochet South Productions image caption Jacob Young, 18, appeared on an episode of Supernanny in 2005, aged three

A teenager who appeared on the reality TV show Supernanny as a child has been described as a danger to women and detained for 10 years for rape.

Jacob Young, 18, of Ipswich, strangled his victim almost to unconsciousness in her own home, making her fear for her life, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The judge dismissed a letter from his mother which said the 2005 show led to a "campaign of abuse and mockery".

He said Young had an "extreme form of sexual curiosity or unhealthy fantasy".

'Enjoyed violence'

The court heard Young spent the night of 13 October 2018 stalking and taking photos of "vulnerable" women, before he spotted the victim being supported by her boyfriend as he walked her home.

During a trial last year, Young's defence claimed he was making sure she got home safely, but the court heard he had a "premeditated plan" to steal the stranger's bag, so he could return it as a "hero" figure.

image copyright Ricochet South Productions/Channel 4 image caption Sue and Paul Young and their five sons, then aged eight months to eight years, appeared on the show in 2005

Once the boyfriend left, Young entered the flat and attacked her.

Judge Levett said evidence from the victim suggested Young enjoyed the violence and she only escaped after promising to let him "do whatever to me" if he let her go to the bathroom.

The family featured in a 2005 episode of Supernanny, in which the five young boys were described as having "no respect for their home, their parents or each other".

In a letter to the court, his mother described the impact that appearing on the Channel 4 show had on each of her five sons.

Claims 'embellishment'

"Your mother said appearing on that TV programme led to a campaign of mockery and abuse from the public and peers and school friends," Judge Levett said.

Young's mother claimed he was "very protective" of women following a fire at the family home in 2007, which led to "considerable media attention".

She suggested her son was a person of good character who could not have done what was alleged. All her claims were dismissed as "embellishment" by the judge.

The court heard Young had a previous conviction for threatening a 12-year-old girl with a knife when he was 14.

Young, of Beechcroft Road, had denied rape, committing actual bodily harm and theft but was found guilty by a jury.

"You took advantage of a vulnerable woman in her own home, where she should have expected she was safe in her bed," said Judge Levett.

Young was sentenced to 10 years in a young offenders' institution with an extended licence period of five years.