Anthony Williams (40), from Gloucester, has had his eight-year sentence increased to 12 years by the Court of Appeal after the Solicitor General referred his case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
The court heard that Williams pretended to be a professional photographer, approaching women online and luring them to his makeshift studio at his home.
During the photoshoot, Williams encouraged the women to undress before he sexually abused them. He carried out 17 attacks over the course of nine photoshoots between July 2021 and December 2021.
In victim impact statements several women spoke about how much Williams had impacted their mental health. One victim said: “I find myself feeling like a mere shadow of my former self.”
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:
“Williams exploited and manipulated women into thinking they were taking part in professional photo shoots but this was just part of a grim scheme to brutally assault them for his own sexual gratification.
Protecting women and girls is an absolute priority for this government and I would like to offer my sympathies to the victims. I welcome the court’s increase to this sentence.”
Anthony Williams was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment on 22 January 2025 after a jury at Gloucester Crown Court found him guilty of 14 counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of rape. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
On 15 April 2025 at the Court of Appeal, Anthony Williams had his sentence increased to 12 years.
