Serial rapist who drugged women and bragged about signing for Premier League side is jailed

A SERIAL rapist who drugged women and bragged about signing for a Premier League side has been jailed.

Sahil Ali was sentenced to more than 18 years behind bars for the rape of three women, including a 15-year-old girl, in West Sussex.

Sahil Ali, 21, was sentenced to more than 18 years behind bars for the rape of three womenCredit: Alamy Ali used violence, drugs and threats to sexually abuse them between 2022 and 2024Credit: Sussex Police The 21-year-old used social media to contact his victims and used violence, drugs and threats to rape and sexually abuse them between 2022 and 2024.

Sussex Police said that they were often committed in his car, where he would overpower them.

Ali joined the Brighton and Hove Albion FC academy in 2013 and later bragged online about signing for the club – he also had spells at Millwall and Barnet.

But The Argus reports that Ali was told by a judge: “You had a career as professional footballer ahead of you which will now be lost.”

Lewes Crown Court heard how he would target vulnerable young women with the youngest of his victims just 15-years-old.

According to the outlet, Ali raped her twice and strangled her to the point she couldn’t breathe.

The girl aspired to be a dentist but said she had stopped going to school and that her “friends would ask me about bruises”.

“I still struggle with sleeping and have flashbacks of him strangling me,” she added.

Ali also raped a 17-year-old girl in 2022 who reportedly told cops: “It was the most violent thing I have ever experienced.”

And he raped a 29-year-old while on bail, threatened her with revenge porn and took money from her.

Judge Christine Laing KC told Ali that she detected “no real remorse” from the serial rapist.

She added that he seemed “wholly unconcerned” about what he had done and that he his “moral compass is clearly set seriously askew”.

Ali stood trial and was found guilty on March 6 this year for seven counts of rape, one count of intentional strangulation and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

He must serve a minimum of two thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for parole.

The 21-year-old was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his access to children and computer equipment, was also imposed until further order.

The sentencing hearing was made on 26 June at Lewes Crown Court and initial reporting of the case outcome was delayed for legal reasons, but can now be revealed.

Following the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour of Sussex Police 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.”

The Sun has reached out to Brighton and Hove Albion FC, Millwall FC and Barnet FC for comment.