<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/perth" rel="" target="" title="Perth"><span>Perth</span></a><span> woman </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/rape" rel="" target="" title="raped"><span>raped</span></a><span> by a man pretending to be a rideshare driver on a night out three years ago has bravely spoken about her story in a warning to other women. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clare Connor was assaulted by Michael Pena Chavez, who was </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="sentenced"><span>sentenced</span></a><span> to five-and-a-half years in prison on Friday. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The now-25-year-old's life has been forever changed after the night out with friends in 2022.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-melbourne-ocean-grove-community-grieves-three-year-old-fatally-struck-by-accelerating-car/7c3fe5ed-5711-4136-9487-7ee325b9792e"><strong><span>Community grieves toddler killed by out-of-control car</span></strong></a><strong><span> </span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I can't just do things without a care in the world like I used to," Connor told 9News. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Connor accepted a ride from Chavez, who was pretending to be her Uber driver. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He drove off knowing what he was doing at that point - obviously me, oblivious," she said. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-news-clare-connor-warning-women-man-jailed-rape-pretending-to-be-rideshare-driver/cc9d0615-7618-43a4-8f7f-7504e8dd95e2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chavez, 42, told his victim he'd take her home for free but then the drive took a sinister turn. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At that moment I texted my friend saying 'hey, my Uber driver's trying to hold my hand...what the hell's happening'," she recalled.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/rick-thorburn-who-murdered-foster-daughter-tiahleigh-palmer-found-dead-in-jail/e33b092a-ecbe-4fb6-9266-f0d62a1fbaca"><strong><span>Child killer Rick Thorburn found dead in jail</span></strong></a><strong><span> </span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My phone died instantly after I sent that message." </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unable to open the door, Connor was then raped twice. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I got out of the car, panic attack, couldn't breathe, started crying," she said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After reporting the attack to police, Chavez, a father-of-two, was then charged and eventually pleaded guilty. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Friday in court, Connor bravely faced her rapist for the first time since that night. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was surreal," she said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was like I just... I couldn't even look him in the eye 'cause I saw him looking at me and I just.. I couldn't even look at all." </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chavez has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I thought he should have gotten 14 [years], which is the max," she said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Connor only discovered during Friday's sentencing that on that fateful night, Chavez saw she was intoxicated and purposely turned his car around to pick her up. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I just wanna know if he knows that what he did was one of the worst things a person could do to another human," Connor said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Support is available from the</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>at</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/" title="https://www.1800respect.org.au/"><strong><span>1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)</span></strong></a><strong><span>.</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>