Grand Theft Auto obsessive jailed for sex attacks

A teenage videogame fan has been jailed for sexually assaulting women he thought were prostitutes. And guess which title’s been blamed?

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Ryan Chinnery, 19, from Ashford, Kent, prowled local streets whilst high on drugs and drink, looking for women.

When police searched his home they found a copy of Grand Theft Auto, and the court was told how he played the game for hours on end.

Chinnery admitted two sexual assaults and two others were left on file. In once instance, he broke the arm of a woman in her 40s by pulling her down a hill before sexually assaulting her.

Prosecutor Eleanor Laws said during the trial that the amount of time Chinnery spent playing the game "may go some way to explaining his attitude towards women".

Judge Philip Statman said upon sentencing that, though "it is not for this court to enter into this controversy as to whether such conduct is encouraged by pornographic material and video games such as Grand Theft Auto which seems, in my judgment and from what I have heard and read, does show scant respect for women".

Chinnery was sentenced to an indefinite jail term with a recommendation that he serve at least four years before being considered for parole.

In August, three US teenagers claimed to have learned how to make Molotov Cocktails from GTA. A Thai videogame distributor even decided to stop selling the game after a local teenager went on a self-confessed GTA style murder and robbery rampage.