Men on Trial for Assault Claim They Met Drugged Woman Online

Two men standing trial for sexual assault have stated they connected with a married couple through online advertisements and a swinging website, maintaining they had no knowledge the wife was being drugged. The case centers on Joanne Young, who has waived her legal right to anonymity, after her former husband admitted to drugging and abusing her over several years at their home in Wiltshire. Philip Young, 50, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, with prosecutors stating he advertised his wife online and permitted other men to abuse her.

Four additional men are currently on trial at Winchester crown court. Among them is Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 32, who denies charges of sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching from June 2016. In police interviews presented to the jury, Sanderson-Doyle explained he contacted Philip Young via a Craigslist adult section advertisement featuring a woman tied and blindfolded. He stated he believed he was engaging with a couple living out a specific kink.

Sanderson-Doyle told officers he arrived on his motorcycle and found Joanne Young tied and blindfolded as depicted in the advertisement. Although she remained silent, he believed she was awake. He noted that while he heard her utter a word he interpreted as a request to alter actions rather than stop, he eventually sensed discomfort and departed. He told police he believed he had consent and described himself as a young man exploring boundaries.

A second defendant, Norman Macksoni, 48, denies a charge of rape from February 2017. He informed police he operated as an MC and used a specific username on the swinging website where he initiated contact. Macksoni claimed the platform centered on fantasy fulfillment within a cuckold community and asserted Joanne Young appeared entirely coherent during their encounter. Two other individuals, Richard Wilkins and Mohammed Hassan, are also facing various charges in the ongoing trial.

Defendants in the trial claim they were unaware the victim had been drugged by her husband.

Why it matters

The trial highlights serious legal and ethical questions regarding consent when victims are incapacitated by third parties. It brings public attention to the risks associated with online adult platforms and the complexities of establishing liability in cases of coordinated abuse.