A serial rapist who overpowered vulnerable girls in his car has been jailed for 18 years as part of a 23-year sentence.
Sahil Ali, 21, of Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham, contacted the girls on social media and then used threats and violence to rape and sexually abuse them.
The offences happened in 2022, 2023 and last year, a jury at Lewes Crown Court was told.
Ali denied seven counts of rape, one count of intentional strangulation and one count of sexual assault by penetration but the jury convicted him of all the charges.
Sussex Police said that Ali was a British national who committed most of the attacks in his car and had been deemed dangerous in law.
As a result, Judge Christine Laing, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove, imposed a 23-year sentence, consisting of 18 years in custody and an extra five years on licence.
Ali will have to serve at least two thirds of the 18-year custodial term before he can even be considered for parole. When he is released, he will remain on licence until 23 years have elapsed.
Judge Laing also ordered Ali to register as a sex offender for life and imposed a sexual harm prevention order, restricting his access to children and computer equipment indefinitely.
After Ali was sentenced, Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour said: “Ali preyed on vulnerable teenage girls, making demands on them and using violence to make them comply.
“The case has had a profound impact on the three victims and I commend them for their courage to come forward and report their experiences to the police.
“We take reports of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and encourage anyone impacted by these offences to come forward to us and report what has happened.
“After a trial, Ali was found guilty of the offences and he is now serving a significant custodial sentence.”
Ali was found guilty on Thursday 6 March at Lewes Crown Court at the end of a 13-day trial. He was jailed at the same court on Thursday 26 June. A reporting restriction order prevented coverage until now.
