text: The son of a well known nightclub owner who bragged about taking a girl's virginity in an alley is appealing his rape conviction. Luke Lazarus, a 23-year-old former private school boy, was jailed for at least three years on March 27 for raping an 18-year-old virgin in an alleyway outside his father's SOHO nightclub in Kings Cross, inner Sydney in May 2013. Lazarus hired Back Schwartz Vaughan - a liquor licensing specialist law firm, who lodged the appeal five days after the conviction, also contested the five year-maximum sentence he received, Fairfax Media reported. Scroll down for video . Luke Lazarus was sentenced on March 27 for raping an 18-year-old at his father's SOHO nightclub on May 12, 2013 . In the victim's impact statement, which was read out at court on her behalf, the woman said she will never be the same following the brutal attack. 'I thought that once I left the alleyway the pain would go away ... but it didn't,' the statement said. 'Everything that made me who I was stayed in that alleyway.' Lazarus said he thought the sex was consensual and that fact that it wasn't made him: 'absolutely sick to my stomach'. When sentencing him, Judge Sarah Huggett found the offence was not premeditated but said he was reckless. 'I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt he must have realised there was a possibility she wasn't consenting,' she told Sydney's District Court. But she said he was 'not caring in one way or another whether she was consenting'. During Luke Lazarus's rape trial, the jury were told he boasted to the victim he could introduce her to the DJ at the SOHO, before he ushered her into an alleyway . This comes as Eastern Sydney's Waverley mayor Sally Betts wrote a glowing reference for Lazarus 'out of loyalty to the family' after he raped an 18-year-old woman in an alleyway outside his father's SOHO nightclub, in Sydney. Now the controversial councillor is developing 'a new risky behaviour education program to try and help young women understand and better deal with being in vulnerable situations'. In an interview with the Wentworth Courier she referenced the behaviour of Lazarus's victim. The Mayor of three years said: 'By the sheer fact of (the assault) happening at a nightclub and alcohol is involved, (means people are) open to the possibility of risky behaviour, so I'm saying let's try and close that loophole.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Cr Betts for comment. Cr Betts is reportedly developing the program for school girls alongside Waverley Action for Youth Services (WAYS) and the police. During Lazarus's trial, the jury was told that he boasted to the victim he could introduce her to the DJ at his father's club, the SOHO, before he ushered her into the alleyway. The court heard that during the assault he pulled her stockings down, ignored a second request by her to leave and said in an authoritative tone 'put your f***ing hands on the wall, get on the floor and arch your back'. Waverley mayor Sally Betts wrote a reference for convicted rapist Luke Lazarus and is now developing 'a new risky behaviour education program' for young women . When it was over Lazarus told her to add her name to a list of conquests in his phone that he had. In a text message to a friend the afternoon after the attack, in the early hours of May 12, 2013, Lazarus said: 'I honestly have zero recollection of calling you ... Was a sick night – took a chick's virginity.' His friend replied: 'bahahahaha nice popping does cherries ... ' Lazarus replied: '... it's a pretty gross story tell ya later'. Cr Betts said in the character reference she wrote for Lazarus that his conviction was 'inconsistent with the gentle well-mannered and respectful young man that I know'. She also said she had no hesitation supporting Lazarus and his family. In a recent interview with the Wentworth Courier she said she wrote the reference in support of Lazarus's grandparents whom she has been friends with for 30 years. 'They are shocked and devastated and I wrote in support of them,' she said. Sally Betts has been the Mayor of Waverley for three years in Sydney's eastern suburbs . Australia's first Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Pru Goward slammed the public figures in the local community who supported Lazarus. Along with Cr Betts, the honorary secretary of the Honorary Consulate-General of Greece in Brisbane, Tsambico K Athanasas, South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club chairman Nick Pappas and the parish priest at the Greek Orthodox Christian Church of St George, Rose Bay, Father Gerasimos Koutsouras, spoke out to support him. 'Not only does this diminish their standing, it can shatter the confidence of the victim and often discourages them from seeking justice,' she said. On Thursday, Federal Member for Wentworth and Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull, whose electorate takes in Betts' council area, refused to endorse her to continue in her position. Turnbull's office declined to respond when probed by the Guardian over whether he would support her as mayor. A council investigation is currently underway to determine whether she broke the code of conduct. On Facebook a campaign page with over 200 likes has begun calling for her removal from office. 'As a community we must stand against our elected leaders supporting convicted rapists. Sally Betts Mayor of Waverley needs to know that she must go,' the page says. Luke Lazarus will spend a minimum of three years behind bars. He told the court that attending his father's clubs gave him an 'inflated sense of power and entitlement' A photo of a drunken looking young woman, lying with her legs apart on the ground, was posted on SOHO nightclub's Facebook page on April 3 by an 'external promoter' Last week, nightclub promoters apologised after a photo of a young woman sprawled out on a tiled-floor was used to advertise their Easter weekend event - just a week after Lazarus was convicted of raping a teenage girl at the venue. A photo of a 'drunken' young woman, lying with her legs apart on the ground, was posted on SOHO nightclub's Facebook page on April 3. The photo's caption said: 'We're throwing an extra special Yeezter event Tonight. Free entry till 10pm and $5 drinks till midnight – get amongst it!' The disturbing image was soon removed by the club's management after a backlash on Twitter, the Daily Life reports, with one shocked social media user complaining: 'This is how Luke Lazarus (sic) father promotes nightclub SOHO. Posted week after sentencing!'. A Twitter user told Daily Mail Australia : 'Once it did Twitter rounds and people started commenting it was removed by Saturday.' A SOHO management spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'The event on the night was set up by an external promoter as a one-off event. 'He was given access to the official Facebook page but as soon as we noticed he'd put that up it was taken down.' The club agreed that the photo used was '100 per cent inappropriate'. The SOHO nightclub is a popular venue in Sydney's Kings Cross district . Judge Huggett said Lazarus, a South Sydney Rabbitohs fan, came from a privileged upbringing .
target: Luke Lazarus was convicted of raping an 18-year-old at SOHO nightclub .
  The 23-year-old Sydney man was sentenced to a minimum of three years .
  He then bragged about it to a mate via a text message next day after attack .
  Lazarus' lawyers are now appealing his conviction .
  This comes as Waverley Mayor Sally Betts wrote a reference for him .
  Liberal mayor asked for him not to receive a custodial sentence .
  Says she is trying to 'close loophole' of 'risky behaviour' in young women .