A 64-year-old taxi driver, Lance Melville Percival, from Oxted, has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for recording himself sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman over a five-year period while driving her to support services. Guildford Crown Court handed down the sentence on Monday after Percival pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder, rape, sexual assault, and assault by penetration.
The investigation uncovered 16 videos spanning from 2021 to 2024, where the survivor can be heard pleading with Percival to stop the abuse. Despite the victim’s lack of understanding and awareness of the assaults, she never reported the incidents due to the level of manipulation and grooming she experienced.
Percival, who had been a self-employed taxi driver licensed by Tandridge District Council for a decade, had his license revoked by Surrey Police after the allegations came to light. Detective Constable Marc Taylor from Surrey Police’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team described Percival as a sexual predator who exploited the victim’s vulnerability. Taylor commended his colleagues for their efforts in securing evidence that led to Percival’s guilty plea, sparing the survivor and her family from a trial.
In addition to the prison sentence, Percival received a restraining order prohibiting contact with the survivor and her immediate family, along with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This case highlights the seriousness with which sexual offenses are treated and emphasizes the commitment to bringing perpetrators to justice.
If you need to report a sexual offense or rape, visit https://www.surrey.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences/.