The court received a powerful victim impact statement that illustrated the psychological devastation caused by O’Brien’s actions over several years. The survivor spoke of a life now defined by hyper-vigilance and social withdrawal
A UK court has sentenced Jennifer O’Brien, a TikTok creator known to tens of thousands of followers as Jennifer Nieve, to 17 years in prison following a trial detailing a harrowing campaign of sexual and physical violence. The 34-year-old was convicted at Manchester Crown Court for a series of repeated attacks against a woman that a judge described as having caused “deep and lasting harm.”
A pattern of violent offending
The conviction followed a five-day trial where a jury found O’Brien guilty of rape, assault by penetration, threatening with an offensive weapon, and another serious offence. While court documents identified the defendant as Jordan O’Brien, she is widely known by her online persona, Jennifer Nieve, and the court heard she had transitioned from a man to a woman.
The prosecution detailed a pattern of behaviour where O’Brien became increasingly aggressive whenever the victim refused sexual contact. According to reports from the Manchester Evening News, the victim testified that she had made her lack of consent explicitly clear, yet the abuse continued unabated. Recorder Tim Harrington, presiding over the case, emphasised that the scale of the abuse necessitated a severe sentence, noting that the charges were based on no fewer than 10 distinct attacks.
“I have to sentence you for at least 10 occasions that you raped her. This was repeated offending,” the judge told O’Brien during sentencing, clarifying that the crimes could not be viewed as a single isolated incident.
The victim’s toll
The court received a powerful victim impact statement that illustrated the psychological devastation caused by O’Brien’s actions over several years. The survivor spoke of a life now defined by hyper-vigilance and social withdrawal.
“I don’t sleep for very long, and I’m up at all hours of the night. If I am in a group of more than five people I suffer from anxiety,” the statement read. “The impact has been long term and deeply damaging. I have lived for years with fear and anxiety.”
The defense and sentencing
In mitigation, defence lawyer Dan Calder highlighted O’Brien’s lack of previous convictions and a personal history marked by hardship. He suggested that Jennifer O’Brien is “highly likely” to be suffering from “complex PTSD” and possesses a “history of trauma.” While Calder noted that his client did not agree with the jury’s guilty verdicts, he stated she accepted the court’s obligation to pass a sentence.
O’Brien, who is of no fixed address, had spent two years on bail under an electronically monitored curfew prior to the trial. The court confirmed that this time would be credited toward her total 17-year term. Under the conditions of the sentence, she is required to serve at least two-thirds of that time in custody before becoming eligible for release.
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