William Adesanya, who filmed the ‘cruel and inhumane’ crime, was branded a ‘very dangerous individual’
04 Nov 2025
William Adesanya, 25, raped a sex worker and strangled her until she fell unconscious.
A sex worker was raped by a client multiple times after he strangled her until she became unconscious and filmed the act in order to “humiliate and degrade” her. The victim said she wanted to “rip her skin off” after being raped as her attacker left her feeling “dirty” by what he had done.
William Adesanya, 25, raped the victim three times during the course of 30 minutes after he turned up at her home in Cardiff, having booked an appointment with her. He was described as being “calm” during the rapes and whispered to the victim telling her “Not to struggle”.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Monday heard the “terrifying ordeal” began when the defendant placed the victim in a “bear hug”. He whispered to her “don’t panic, you just need to give me £200”.
The victim began to cry and told Adesanya, of Penarth, she did not have the money. She attempted to grab hold of her phone to take a photo of the defendant, but he grabbed the device first and deleted the messages between them.
She screamed but the defendant placed his hands on her throat as she tried to fight him off, and held her “tighter and tighter”. He told her “If you didn’t struggle, this wouldn’t have happened”.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Carl Harrison said the victim struggled to breathe and “everything went blank”.
When she regained consciousness, she realised her shorts and underwear had been pulled down and Adesanya was “moving her body”.
The defendant left the victim on the floor “with no regard for her or her safety” but she attempted to go after him in order to get her phone back.
He responded by grabbing hold of her, forcing her into the bedroom, pushing her face onto the bed and raping her.
As he did so, Adesanya filmed himself raping the victim both vaginally and orally, in order to “humiliate and degrade her”. The court heard the victim could be heard crying and pleading with him to stop, but Judge Harrison said he “could not care less”.
The victim was “terrified” about what the defendant would do to her if she did not submit to him, and feared for her life.
After he left, the victim called the police and the defendant was later arrested.
Adesanya, of Clos yr Erw, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, CF64 3RR was later found guilty after trial of three counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of intentional strangulation.
The court heard he is of previous good character.
Reading out her own victim personal statement to the court, the victim said: “My anxiety is extremely high and I am nervous about being out in public. The first time I had to take the bins out, I threw up because of the anxiety… Even just being in work and thinking he will walk past me makes me not want to leave the house. I struggle to sleep every night and feel paralysed. I have panic attacks and can’t move, I am stuck.”
The victim said she is no longer able to do her job because of her mental state, which has left her in financial difficulty. She also said she no longer feels safe in her home, and her bedroom became a “crime scene”.
She added: “They say it takes seven years for skin to regenerate and create new cells. I am counting down for seven years so my skin is not the same skin he touched…. He has broken every ounce of confidence, self love, and mental progress. I hate my body, I hate how I look and when I touch myself. I was excited for my future but now I feel broken and with no purpose.
“Every day I want to rip off my skin. I don’t want skin that has been touched or violated by him. My confidence, safety, sanity and self worth has been ripped away from me. I have changed, I am not the same person I was that night…. I am constantly in a state of mental warfare….
“In my eyes, my body is stained with dirty handprints and no amount of scrubbing will set me free of him… I am broken because of what you did but I’ll heal eventually and will be able to put myself together again. I genuinely hope you’re forced to confront how cruel, inhumane, and devastating your actions were.”
Prosecutor Andrew Davies said Adesanya targeted the victim because of her vulnerability and said his actions amounted to “gratuitous degradation”.
In mitigation, Matthew Roberts said his client was “still a relatively young man” who was hard working and had found employment. He said the defendant is supported by his parents, who are concerned for their son, who he said has another side of his personality.
Judge Harrison told the defendant he is a “very dangerous individual” and said he has shown a “lack of insight and empathy”.
Adesanya was sentenced to 16 years, with an extended licence period of six years.
He was made subject to a restraining order and an order prohibiting him from having contact with sex workers, both to run indefinitely.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/choked-sex-worker-until-passed-32805326
Yoruba origin from Nigeria
The surname Adesanya is of Yoruba origin from Nigeria. It combines the elements “Ade,” meaning “crown” or “royalty,” and “Sanya,” which can mean “sought after” or “to choose.” This surname signifies a noble lineage and reflects cultural heritage and pride within the Yoruba community.