Former councillor and cadet leader guilty of rape and sexual offences

Summarised from 4 outlets · 7 reports · Updated 29 Oct, 15:56 · Archive

Former Peterborough City Councillor Rylan Ray, 26, has been convicted of rape and multiple child sexual offences involving cadet members.

Rylan Ray, 26, from Westgate, Peterborough, has been found guilty of rape and multiple child sexual offences following a 24-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court. A jury unanimously convicted him of 23 offences, and he had already pleaded guilty to three further offences before the trial began. The offences involved 11 victims and took place over a six-year period.

Ray used his position as a detachment commander in the Army Cadet Force to contact young people on WhatsApp under the guise of discussing cadet duties. He then encouraged them to move conversations to Snapchat, where the messaging became sexual. He created a fake Snapchat account posing as a teenage girl named Chelsie to obtain intimate images from his victims. He was linked to one account after a phone call from a victim to Chelsie was answered by Ray; another fake account was traced to his flat through its IP address. Photos of Chelsie and intimate images from six victims were found on Ray's phone.

Ray also told a 16-year-old cadet that he could get him into clubs without ID because he was a Peterborough licensing officer. The crimes came to light in 2025 after two 16th birthday parties were held at Ray's home, attended mostly by cadets or people connected to the Army Cadet Force. Parents raised concerns about drinking and behaviour at the parties, prompting complaints to the force. When officers spoke to children who attended, several disclosed sexual messaging with Ray.

Ray was also involved with the Combined Cadet Force at Stanground Academy and Nene Park Academy in Peterborough. The jury found him guilty of five counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act, five counts of sexual communication with a child, four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of sexual activity with a child, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. He was cleared of one count of possession of prohibited images of children and another of causing a child to watch a sexual act due to lack of evidence.

Ray will be sentenced for all offences at Ipswich Crown Court on 8 January.

How it is being reported

• Peterborough Conservative Party leader reacts as former Tory councillor is convicted of rape and child sex offencesThe leader of the Conservative Party in Peterborough has said the party followed all protocols and procedures in the case of Rylan Ray following his conviction for rape and a number of child sex offences.Peterborough Telegraph · 29 Oct, 15:44
• Police praise bravery of victims after ex city councillor Rylan Ray convicted of rape and other sex offencesPolice have praised the bravery of the young victims of former city councillor Rylan Ray after he was convicted of more than 20 sex offences – including rape.Peterborough Telegraph · 29 Oct, 15:40
• Former Cambs councillor and cadet leader guilty of rape and child sexual offencesFormer Peterborough City Councillor and Army Cadet Force leader Rylan Ray has been found guilty of rape and multiple child sexual offences.Ely Standard · 29 Oct, 15:04
• Former Cambs councillor and cadet leader guilty of rape and child sexual offencesFormer Peterborough City Councillor and Army Cadet Force leader Rylan Ray has been found guilty of rape and multiple child sexual offences.Cambs Times · 29 Oct, 15:04
• UPDATE: Ex Peterborough councillor Rylan Ray GUILTY of rape and 22 other sex countsA former Peterborough City Councillor has been found guilty of more than 20 sexual counts – including three of sexual assault of a childPeterborough Telegraph · 29 Oct, 15:01
• Ex Peterborough councillor Rylan Ray GUILTY of 22 counts including sexual assaultA former Peterborough City Councillor has been found guilty of more than 20 sexual counts – including three of sexual assault of a childPeterborough Telegraph · 29 Oct, 13:40
• Ex-councillor guilty of sex crimes against cadetsFormer city councillor Rylan Ray, 26, is convicted of 22 offences including sexual assault.BBC Cambridgeshire · 29 Oct, 12:52

In this story: Rylan Ray · Peterborough City Council · Army Cadet Force · Ipswich Crown Court · Peterborough · Stanground Academy · Nene Park Academy

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log