A SEXUAL predator has been jailed for seven years after he was caught red handed by police raping a stranger in his car in a secluded spot.

The 28-year-old drunken victim had got into Anthony Carrington's Nissan Micra thinking it was a taxi and he took advantage of her vulnerability and attacked her.

Officers on patrol for stolen cars came to her rescue after spotting the vehicle and realising sexual activity was taking place.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that his attack in Leigh took place the day after he had also been cruising around targeting victims to molest and had selected three teenage girls.

Carrington, 54, from St Helens, was convicted of rape and three sex assaults after a trial.

Jailing him for seven years with an extended licence of five years Judge Robert Warnock said that he posed a significant risk of serious harm to others.

The judge said: "You were driving around looking for sex.

“The rape victim has "obviously drunk and mistook your car for a taxi and you took advantage of those factors and her.

“You took her to a quiet spot and raped her. You are deluding yourself if you think the victim consented."

"The offences the previous night involved premeditated attacks on night in the street involving sexual touching and kissing."

Carrington was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Michael Scholes, prosecuting, said that on February 24 this year "Carrington was cruising around looking for targets for inappropriate sexual behaviour”.

Shortly before 11pm he spotted an 18-year-old girl in the Latchford area of Warrington on her way home and he approached her and put his arm around her waist and asked for "a birthday kiss."

He held her face before putting his hand up her dress and indecently assaulting her.

She swore at him, pushed him away and kicked him before running away and get help from local residents.

About ten minutes later Carrington was cruising around the Walton area of Warrington and saw two 16-year-old girls.

He approached one from behind and put his hands around her neck and again demanded a "birthday kiss."

She was able to resist him and he then approached her friend and put his hand up her skirt and squeezed her bottom before the girls ran away, said Mr Scholes.

Carrington struck the next night in the Cavendish Streeet area of Leigh and committed the rape which involved a short period of abduction in his car.

Mr Scholes said that the rape victim had been too drunk to recall what happened to her and had been left very distressed.

Carrington, who was arrested in April, claimed that she had invited him to have sex with him and denied the assaults on the three other victims.

Owen Edwards, defending, said that Carrington had led an unblemished life and still maintains he had not committed the rape.

He asked the judge "to conclude that some sort of mental disturbance occurred before the commission of these offences", adding: "He has thrown away his good character spectacularly and will be watched carefully by the authorities for the rest of his life."

His marriage and following relationship had both failed but his ex-wife is supporting him, added Mr Edwards.

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We have been asked to clarify that Carrington was not living at an address in Merton Bank (which had been provided by the court) at the time he committed these offences.

The resident of the address says that Carrington moved out of the house on February 20, 2012 and has not lived there since. Greater Manchester Police say he was of no fixed address.