Former Tory councillor and cadet leader GUILTY of rape after he posed as teenage girl to trick children into sending nude images

Published 29 October 2026, 17:09

• Rylan Ray, 26, was caught when a boy rang his fake 'Chelsie' account and he answered, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
• Parents' complaints about two drink-fuelled 16th birthday parties at his Peterborough home first exposed the abuse of 11 victims.
• He told police the accusations left him 'truly shocked and disgusted' and had 'ruined his career'.

A former Peterborough city councillor and Army Cadet Force commander has been convicted of rape and dozens of sexual offences against children after using his position of trust to groom young people online.

Rylan Ray, 26, of Westgate, Peterborough, exploited his role as a detachment commander in the Army Cadet Force to contact children on WhatsApp under the pretence of discussing cadet duties, before steering those conversations to Snapchat where they turned sexual, according to the Cambridgeshire Police report.

He was also part of the Combined Cadet Force at Stanground Academy and Nene Park Academy, both in Peterborough.

Ray created a fake Snapchat persona — a teenage girl he called "Chelsie" — to trick children into sending intimate images.

He was caught when a boy rang the Chelsie account and Ray answered.

A second fake account was traced back to his flat via its IP address.

Images of the Chelsie profile — including the Snapchat icon — were found on his phone, alongside intimate images from six victims that had been sent exclusively to the fake accounts.

He also informed a 16-year-old he knew through the cadets, and would see on evenings out, that his role as a licensing officer in Peterborough meant he could secure the teenager entry to clubs without identification.

The offences against 11 victims came to light in 2025 after parents complained to the ACF about drinking and behaviour at two 16th birthday parties held at Ray's home, which he shared with another cadet leader.

Most attendees at the parties were cadets or individuals with ties to them.

When police spoke to children who had attended, they disclosed sexual messaging by Ray.

Police were alerted in May 2025 and arrested Ray that same month.

In his first interview he gave a prepared statement accepting he "may have" become involved in conversations that were "unwise" in his position, but insisted they were not sexually motivated.

He said he was "truly shocked and disgusted" at the accusations, which had "ruined his career," then answered no comment to all further questions.

In later interviews Ray acknowledged that topless pictures of one child had come to him and that certain messages were sexual in nature, while insisting he had never actively encouraged this — yet he also admitted sending a photo of his genitalia and pornography to the same young boy.

Media coverage of the 25 charges prompted a further victim to come forward, disclosing that Ray had raped him after a night out in Peterborough in 2019.

Before the trial Ray pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

During the trial he admitted two further counts of making indecent images of children.

After 24 days at Ipswich Crown Court, jurors convicted him of 23 additional offences, including rape of a man aged 16 or over, sexual assault, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying rape.

He will be sentenced on 8 January.

Detective Constable Gordon Logan said: "The roles Ray held allowed him trusted access to young people, and he seized these opportunities to abuse them sexually... Many of the victims involved felt they had no choice but to engage in the chats with Ray."

DC Logan added: "In an increasingly digital world, mobile phones and social media mean children can be vulnerable to those who prey on their innocence and exploit their trust. We encourage all members of the public to be aware of adults who pay an unusual amount of attention to a child – no matter their profession."