Merri Creek rapist jailed for 20 years for ‘terrifying’ attack on woman jogging in Melbourne

Joel Russo, 29, has been handed a 17-year minimum jail sentence with a judge saying he was an extremely dangerous offender'

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A violent serial rapist who dragged a woman into a creek and tried to drown her before subjecting her to hours of horrific sexual abuse has been jailed for more than two decades.

Joel Russo, 29, grabbed the woman from behind and abducted her as she was jogging along the Merri Creek Trail in Melbourne's inner north in 2019. He dragged her down an embankment towards the creek and she clawed at the ground to try to get away.

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