‘Manipulative’ Southampton man sentenced for the rape of teenager and young woman

A 30-year-old man who ‘manipulated his victims into complying with his demands’ has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for raping a teenager and a young woman known to him in Southampton.

Joshua Bromage, of Holybourne Road in Havant, appeared at Winchester Crown Court yesterday afternoon (Thursday 18 July) for sentencing having previously pleaded guilty to four counts of rape.

The court heard how police were called in April 2021 to a report of a domestic incident taking place at an address in Southampton. On attendance, a 17-year-old girl reported that she had been forced to have sex with Bromage and that she had been blackmailed over Instagram by an unknown person, later identified as Bromage himself, to send indecent images and videos.

Bromage was arrested and an examination of his phone found category C indecent images of children, as well as images of the victim and a series of text conversations in which he demanded explicit images of the victim, threatening to release intimate photos of her online if she didn’t comply. 

In November 2023, while the initial police investigation was ongoing, a second victim – a 22-year-old woman from Southampton - came forward to police to report that she had also been raped by Bromage and blackmailed by an unknown person, again later identified to be Bromage, via Instagram.

The woman told officers how she had been blackmailed into sending indecent images and videos of herself, with the perpetrator again threatening to release other indecent images of her if she did not meet his demands. Bromage further manipulated the victim by telling her that he was receiving similar threats, and that the blackmailer was requesting images and videos of the two engaging in sexual acts.

Following a thorough and complex investigation, Bromage was charged with four counts of rape, which he pleaded guilty to.

On sentencing HRH Judge Henry said that Bromage had cynically manipulated his victims into complying with his demands. As well as 14 years in prison, Bromage will also be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson, who led the investigation, said: “Bromage’s actions were incredibly manipulative, calculated and controlling and the impact he has had on his two young victims is immeasurable.

“It took an awful lot of courage for the victims in this case to come forward and speak to us and for that I am very grateful. Without their bravery, we would not have been aware of Bromage’s crimes and their support throughout the investigation has allowed us to bring him to justice and ensure that he is behind bars where he cannot hurt anybody else.

“Bromage targeted a girl and a woman that he knew by contacting them as an anonymous blackmailer, demanding that they send images and videos of sexual acts. He then forced them to perform these acts on him and even pretended that he was receiving similar threats, in order to coerce them into doing what he wanted.

“While I know this result won’t rid these young women of the memories of what has happened, I truly hope it allows them to move forward with their lives, safe in the knowledge that he can no longer harm anybody else.

“I also hope that this sentence reassures other victims that they will be listened to when reporting incidents of this nature to the police. If you have experienced anything similar we encourage you to please come forward and speak to us – we take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice."

As a survivor of sexual abuse, you’re entitled to support, whether you report the crime or not. You can access different types of support depending on how you’re feeling and what you decide to do next. We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse and not ready to contact us.

Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood, or is concerned about a child, can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

Please follow the below link for more information:

Support for rape and sexual assault | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

You can also find more information and support via the Childline website:

https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/report-remove/