Man guilty of multiple rapes against two women in Portsmouth & Gosport

A man who raped two women multiple times across a period of 10 months has been convicted.

Louis Charles Cann, aged 38, was charged with 9 counts of rape following an investigation by Operation Amberstone – Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s specialist rape and serious sexual offence investigation team.

Cann denied the offences and the case went to trial on Monday 13 May this year at Salisbury Crown Court.

The court heard that the incidents occurred between 1 February and 17 December 2022 in the Portsmouth and Gosport areas. The two women were known to Cann.

In one instance, Cann filmed himself raping one of the women as she slept.

The court heard that the women were manipulated by Cann, threatened with violence and verbally abused, and one of the women was physically assaulted by Cann when she said no to having sex with him.

Following the trial, Cann, of Rampart Row in Gosport, was found guilty of all the offences.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Salisbury Crown Court on 22 August.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse, you can report this to police in confidence by calling 101.

Not everyone who has experienced this type of abuse has the confidence to report to police. There are support services out there that can offer help to you, completely independent of the police, should you need support.

For more information on where to seek support, or how to make a report to police, please visit our website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/