Joel Russo jailed for 20 years for raping jogger

Joel Russo dragged his victim into Melbourne’s Merri Creek - giving her terrifying ultimatum before raping her.

A serial sex offender gave a woman a terrifying ultimatum before dragging her into a creek and repeatedly raping her.

The 26-year-old victim was walking along Merri Creek, in Melbourne, when she was attacked from behind.

Joel Russo told the woman “I’ll let you live if you let me f*** you,” before holding her head underwater and repeatedly raping her.

After the attack he told her: “Sorry for raping you. I’ve ruined your life, haven’t I?”

He was arrested hours later when he tried to rob a service station.

Russo, who had been jailed for raping a woman in a park in 2015, had only been out of prison a couple of months before he attacked the jogger.

Appearing at the County Court on Tuesda,y Russo pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault, reckless conduct causing serious injury, attempted robbery and theft, weapon offences, causing criminal damage and committing an offence on bail.

The victim told the court she was traumatised by the incident, which took place on December 3, 2019, and has since suffered depression.

County Court Judge Liz Gaynor described the offending as a “horrendous sexual attack”, and had previously called it “every woman’s worst nightmare”.

Russo, 29, who has an intellectual disability and was abused as a child was sentenced to 20 years and four months in prison, with a non-parole period of 17 years.