A labourer who raped a woman in his van was also accused of attacking a 16-year-old schoolgirl just days before her body was found in a river, it has been revealed.
The body of Leah Bedford, 16, was recovered from the River Ouse in York on September 28, 2023.
She had last been seen eight days earlier, captured on CCTV at the edge of the river near Lendal Bridge on September 20.
Two weeks before she died, Leah had accused building site worker Kristian John Franks, 35, of sexually assaulting her.
She told North Yorkshire Police officers that Franks had picked her up in his vehicle on September 6 2023, before driving to a quiet spot and then proceeding to attack her.
