Latest Offenders Fareham

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Brett Sitch, aged 52, was convicted of 12 charges following a lengthy investigation led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s specialist Operation Amberstone team.

The charges are as follows:

• 10 counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16
• 2 counts of inciting a boy under the age of 14 to commit an act of gross indecency

The Amberstone investigation began on 9 January 2020 when one of the victims – now an adult man – bravely contacted police to disclose that he had been abused by Sitch once or twice a week over a period of two years at an address in Gosport.

Through subsequent enquiries, police spoke with other men who were believed to have been abused by Sitch as children. Some reported that when they were children, Sitch had encouraged them to carry out sexual acts upon him, and to play ‘dares’ which involved them having to commit indecent acts on the other boys.

Sitch, of Hammond Road in Fareham, denied all of the abuse, and the case went to trial on Monday 20 November 2023 at Portsmouth Crown Court. Sitch was found guilty of 12 offences on Friday 7 December. Appearing at the same court for sentencing today (Friday 22 March), he was jailed for 30 years.

DC Sam Couchman, from Operation Amberstone, said: “What these children, now grown men, experienced at such a young age was appalling. The bravery shown by the victims in this case has been commendable. I want to praise them for the courage they have shown through the investigation, and for talking to Police about what had happened to them to help bring Sitch to justice. Sitch completely took advantage of these children, using the façade of dares to mask his abuse and normalise his disturbing sexual behaviour.

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A former Fareham teacher has been jailed for non-recent sexual offences against a school child.

Nicholas Brooks, now aged 71 and of Park Gate, was a teacher at Meoncross School in Stubbington at the time of the offences, which took place between 2008 and 2011.

The allegations came to light after a woman approached police in 2020 to report abuse she suffered at the hands of Brooks when she was a pupil at the school.

The woman described feeling ‘trapped’ by Brooks, with offences taking place on the school premises, at Brooks’s home address and in his car.

Police launched an investigation, and Brooks was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child aged 13-17 – adult abusing a position of trust – and two counts of being an adult abusing their position of trust to cause/incite sexual activity with a girl aged 13-17, following a trial at Southampton Crown Court on 13 December 2023.

Appearing at the same court on Friday 26 January 2024, he was jailed for 3 years.

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A child abuser whose offending left a ‘scar on the soul of the community’ in Fareham has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Stephen Lovelock, aged 61, was charged with 15 offences relating to the abuse of a girl in Fareham, following an investigation by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT):

• Two counts of rape of a child under 13
• One count of attempted rape of a child under 13
• Two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Three counts of sexual activity with a child
• Four counts of assault by penetration of a child under 13
• Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• One count of taking indecent photographs of a child

He denied the charges, but was convicted of all of them on 14 July this year at a trial which took place at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The court heard that Lovelock, of no fixed abode, abused the child over a number of years between 2015 and 2022, beginning when the child was under the age of 13.

The girl bravely found the courage to report this to police in April 2022 and Lovelock was arrested two days later following enquiries.

At Portsmouth Crown Court today (Friday 1 September), His Honour Judge Ashworth told the court that what the jurors heard during the trial leaves “a scar on the soul of the community”, before jailing Lovelock for 26 years.

DC Vicky Osborne, from the CAIT team, said: “The abuse suffered by this poor girl was appalling, and I commend her for her incredible bravery in coming forward to the police while she was still a child.

“Lovelock is a horrendous and predatory individual who ensured that this young girl endured further suffering by denying his crimes.

“This investigation, led by DC Hannah Owen in the CAIT team, has led to a dangerous man being convicted, and this is testament to the unwavering bravery of the young girl involved.

“Her courage throughout this investigation and the subsequent trial process has now resulted in Lovelock being sentenced to a lengthy time in prison.

“I hope the outcome of this case reassures other survivors of abuse that you will be listened to and believed, and we will do everything we can to support you and bring those responsible to justice.”

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A man has been jailed for child sex offences following a joint investigation by police in Hampshire and the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).

In August 2022, 57-year-old Robert Pell struck up a conversation with a person online who he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, and agreed to meet up with them at Fareham train station.

When Pell arrived at the location, he was instead met by police officers who arrested him.

He was subsequently charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a boy under 16 years of age following grooming.

Following Pell’s arrest, police seized his phone for examination.

The phone contained 80 indecent images of children, including images Pell had taken of himself abusing a child.

Officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary identified and immediately safeguarded the child, before charging Pell with two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, and one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 13.

Appearing at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 13 January 2023, Pell, of the Titchfield area of Fareham, admitted all of the offences. He also admitted a further count of making indecent images of children at a hearing on 20 February.

He appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Thursday 2 March) where he was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He was also made subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and must sign on the sex offenders register for life.

PC David Sloan, from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Pell’s crimes are nothing short of horrendous. He willingly arranged to meet with someone who he believed to be a child following a period of grooming, and the evidence that police uncovered throughout the subsequent investigation proved that he had already been actively involved in the sexual abuse of a child.

“This man poses a clear risk to children. I hope that the efforts of police and Pell’s subsequent jail sentence provides some reassurance to the community that we will do everything in our power, and use every tactic available, to identify perpetrators of child abuse, safeguard those affected, and bring offenders to justice.”

Detective Constable Colin Haynes, of SEROCU, said: “SEROCU officers worked closely in collaboration with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary to ensure a thorough investigation was carried out and that Pell was brought before a court to face the consequences of his abhorrent crimes.

“Child sexual abuse has devastating and lasting consequences for victims, so we will continue this vital work with police forces across the South East to ensure offenders who pose such a danger are identified and apprehended to face justice.”

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A WOMAN woke up to a man raping her in his home.

The victim was left "hugely impacted" after Philip Lush assaulted her while she slept.

The court was told that the woman had been out with the 28-year-old that evening before returning to his to watch a film.

She fell asleep and was was woken up by Lush raping her.

Lush, of Whiteley Lane, Titchfield, denied the offence but following a seven-day trial, he was found guilty by a jury on November 22 last year.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday, Lush was jailed for five years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Police staff investigator Lynn Levett said: “The woman was asleep when Lush raped her for his own self-gratification.

"His actions showed a total disregard for the woman and this incident has understandably had a huge impact on her.

“I would like to commend the woman for her bravery in telling us what happened and for the strength she showed throughout the investigation and the trial to bring Lush to justice.

“We take all reports of sexual assault seriously and do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.

“We know it’s difficult to report incidents of this nature but we encourage anyone who has or thinks they have been a victim of sexual abuse to contact us on 101. "We have specially trained officers who you can speak to in complete confidence and they will support you throughout the criminal justice process.

“Alternatively, we know not everyone feels comfortable talking to the police so we want you to know that there are a number of independent support agencies out there who will provide you with the help you need.”

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A sex offender who tried to evade being sentenced for downloading more than 9,000 indecent images of children has now been jailed.

Warren Bone was convicted on 16 May this year of making and distributing indecent images, as well as possession of extreme pornography.

The 53-year-old was due to be sentenced for these matters on 17 June, but failed to appear in court. He was also under investigation for breaching his Sex Offenders Register notification requirements, by not registering a new address with police within three days of moving home or having no fixed abode.

A warrant was issued for his arrest, and following enquiries including a public wanted appeal for his whereabouts, he was arrested on 21 August.

He was sentenced today (Friday 21 October) at Portsmouth Crown Court for three counts of making indecent images of children, 3 counts of distributing indecent images of children, 1 count of possessing extreme pornography, and one count of failing to comply with his notification requirements.

His Honour Judge Shepherd jailed Bone for 3 years and 7 months.

The court heard that devices belonging to Bone, formerly of Cranleigh Road in Fareham, were seized by police and found to contain 5,586 category C images of children, 1,953 category B images, and 1,898 category A images – the most serious.

After initially denying knowledge of the images that were downloaded to his computer, Bone told police he had a drug problem and would look at the images for his own self-gratification.

DC Martin Timmis said: “Bone poses a clear risk to the public due to his perverse interest in downloading indecent images of children.

“He actively tried to avoid being brought to justice, and knew full well he was wanted by police and the courts.

“I hope that the public remain reassured that we take a robust stance against targeting sex offenders, particularly those who abuse or have an interest in children, and will work tirelessly to get these people off the streets.”

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A man who raped a woman on a footbridge could have his jail sentence increased.

John Horne was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping the 22-year-old on the footbridge near Fareham Train Station in Hampshire, in March.

The case has now been referred to the Attorney General's office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

It may then be referred to the Court of Appeal which has the power to increase sentences.

Horne, who was 39 at the time of the attack, admitted charges of rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in what was described as a "prolonged" assault at Portsmouth Crown Court in May.

Horne was told he was considered a dangerous offender so would serve at least two-thirds of his sentence behind bars.

A statement from the victim, read to the court at the time, said she had been a "smiley" character before the attack, but now suffered with daily anxiety and feared she would "never be my normal self again".

At his sentencing Judge Richard Shepherd told Horne he had "terrorised" his victim and robbed her of what should have been a "carefree and safe young adulthood".

A spokesperson from the Attorney General's Office confirmed it had received a request for the sentence to be looked at under the ULS scheme, which deals with complaints about sentences considered to be unreasonably low.

Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision, the spokesperson said.

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Age not known.

A Royal Navy officer has been convicted of secretly filming himself having sex with an 'attractive' female officer and uploading it to Snapchat to brag to colleagues who claimed she was 'out of his league'.

Sub Lieutenant Scott Ewing told a court martial he used his phone to record the video as he was 'proving to the guys that something happened... I was fluffing my feathers' and that it made him 'feel like a lad' at the time.

The 11 second clip showed SLt Ewing turning to smile at the camera and making an 'ok' sign with his fingers while he had sex with her as she faced away from him.

The female officer told the court she was horrified to learn he had 'massively breached [her] trust' by filming her without consent and posting it to the all male group on the social media app.

SLt Ewing, who was based at the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, claimed that during sex he told her 'the lads have got to see this' and she gave him the go ahead by replying 'do whatever you need'.

But his version of events was rejected by the board at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, and he was convicted of voyeurism.

SLt Ewing had told the two day trial that when he first met the female officer he immediately found her attractive and 'took a fancy to her'.

The pair later exchanged 'flirtatious' messages and partially naked pictures on Facebook in the weeks leading up to the incident.

They then met at a bar near Dartmouth, in Devon, which is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and was attended by Prince Charles, Prince Philip and Prince William.

SLt Ewing told the court she had previously implied they would have sex the next time they met so it was 'pretty clear what she meant' when she asked him if they should go to his room.

On the walk there, he said he mentioned several times 'I can't believe this, the lads aren't going to believe this'.

During sex, he claimed he said 'the lads have got to see this' and the female officer turned to him and said 'do whatever you need'.

He said: 'I took that to mean 'show them'... I got the impression that was consent.

'I then turned the camera round to my face, pulled a facial expression, stuck my tongue out, smiling, then made a gesture with my hand like 'sweet, ok'.

'It was proving to the guys that something happened... I was fluffing my feathers, showing off. Looking back it seems silly and immature but in that moment I just wanted to prove a point.

'I was trying to come across as a lad, look what I did, and I got that response from them. [They said] fair play, he did it, well done.

'At the time it made me feel like a lad. It made me feel cool, made me feel like I did something that the others thought was admirable.'

He told the court his friends in the Snapchat group had previously made jokes about him being a 'catfish' - someone perceived to be better looking online than in person - and had said he had 'no chance' with the female officer because she was 'out of his league'.

Lieutenant Commander Peter Barker, prosecuting, said: 'The reason you make that gesture with your hands instead of saying anything is because you didn't want her to know.

'She was facing away with her head down, you are doing everything you can to make sure she doesn't know what's going on.

'She says there was absolutely no consent. It was a spur of the moment, immature prank that went wrong.'

Asked how she would have reacted if there was any mention of the sex being recorded or shared, the female officer told the court: 'I never saw him holding a phone. He never mentioned recording having sex.

'I would have got myself out of there as quickly as possible. That would not have been acceptable. That was never part of the deal.

'Had there been a suggestion I would like to have thought I would probably have got quite angry and got myself out of the situation.

'[If there was mention of it being shared] Even more so I would have found that unacceptable.'

After they had sex, she said she got dressed and went to leave and at that point she saw him pick up his phone but didn't think it suspicious at the time.

She said: 'I said to him, 'you aren't going to tell anybody about this, are you?' and he just laughed or smirked I think.

'At the time, I had nothing to be shocked or appalled about.'

When a friend called her about two and a half weeks later, telling her there was a video of her, the female officer said she spoke to one of the other men in the Snapchat group who had seen it.

She said: 'He assured me that my face wasn't in it, which was a relief because I was worried about that.

'I didn't want to speak with [SLt Ewing] because I didn't trust him. He had massively breached my trust.

'When I found out, I was absolutely shocked.'

SLt Ewing, now of HMS Collingwood in Fareham, Hants, will be sentenced at a later date.

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A HAMPSHIRE man has been put behind bars for non-recent child sex offences.

Mark Anderton, 28, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today for sentencing.

The Wickham resident had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child, and one count of sexual assault of a child, in December last year.

These offences took place over a three year period between 2012 and 2014.

He has been sentenced to a total of three years and two months in prison and will spend the rest of his life on the sex offenders' register.

Detective Constable Mark Harris, from Operation Amberstone, led the investigation.

He said: Andertons actions have caused unspeakable trauma to the victim, and I hope todays sentencing gives them some small measure of closure so they are able to start a new chapter in their life, knowing justice has been served.

I would also like to commend them for the incredible bravery they have shown throughout the case., from reporting, to investigation, to court hearings.

The victim in this case is a survivor, showing courage to stand up the man who hurt them and manipulated them repetitively for a number of years.

Sexual abuse destroys peoples lives, so we take every report incredibly seriously, and we know it takes great strength to report this kind of crime.

If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know someone who has, please contact us.

You can speak with one of our specialist officers in complete confidence, and we will support you throughout the process.

Survivors of sexual abuse are entitled to support, whether they report the crime or not.

Different types of support, depending on how they are feeling, and what they decide to do next, are available.

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Fareham predator Peter Clements, 53, was jailed after his efforts to entice a girl – by claiming to be a photographer – were shown up to be nothing more than a ruthless ploy to abuse a child.

Clements, of Miller Drive, attempted to seduce the officer pretending to be a girl after striking up a conversation on a site using the nickname Honey Monster between July 29 and August 3. He then offered to pay for modelling images.

The sex offender’s depraved attempts to engage the girl meant he fell foul of a sexual harm prevention order made against him for previous offences in Southampton in 2016.

Prosecutor William Saunders told Portsmouth Crown Court the defendant’s intentions were quickly laid bare when he began chatting with the undercover officer posing as a child.

He said: ‘(Clements) said he would pay for modelling images. When she said she was 12 years old there did not seem to be any concern from the defendant.

‘When the child asked what sort of images, Clements said glamour pictures. The chat continued to become sexual.

‘He sent her text messages and called the child’s number. He wanted to meet.

‘He was discussing booking a hotel room and tried arranging for other adult males to join him before saying he was struggling to get others so would she mind doing it alone.’

When police subsequently arrived at his address, Clements was resigned to his fate. ‘He slumped his shoulder and said: “I know why you are here”,’ his defence lawyer Howard Barrington-Clark said.

The barrister described the dangerous paedophile as a ‘Walter Mitty’ character due to his fantasies, before adding: ‘There was no risk of this fantasy spilling over into reality.’

Mr Barrington-Clark pleaded with the judge to be ‘bold and courageous’ and allow Clements to keep his liberty by proving he was reformed via successful completion of a three-month deferral order.

But despite also pointing out Clements had since had a diagnosis for a compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, attempts to stop the defendant being locked up fell on deaf ears.

Judge Keith Cutler said it was ‘sad to see you here’ to Clements after it was ‘quite clear for some time you had behaved yourself’.

The judge said he ‘must follow the guidelines’ before he jailed Clements for 30 months.

Clements had pleaded guilty to engaging a child in sexual communication, breaching a sexual harm prevention order, failing to complete notification requirements from a previous order, and arranging a child sex offence.

He will now have to sign the sex offenders register for life and was handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Speaking after the sentence, an NSPCC spokeswoman said: ‘Clements depraved attempts to abuse children show the ease with which offenders can use the internet as a tool to target young people.

‘The NSPCC is calling on the government to ensure its upcoming Online Safety Bill is robust enough to protect children from offenders like Clements, and holds tech companies accountable if young people are put at risk on their platforms.’

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A man has been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing four children.

Alan Waters, 73 (07.08.48) of Cador Drive, Fareham, Hampshire was sentenced on Thursday, 28 October at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The court heard that between 1971 and 1981, Waters sexually abused four boys whilst working as a sea cadet instructor. The four boys were sea cadets at the time of the offences and were between 11-15 years old.

On different occasions throughout the ten-year period, Waters took advantage of his high ranking position as an officer and sexually assaulted the boys. He used opportunities when he was alone with the victims and when they were vulnerable.

The first incident was reported in 2006 however Waters was serving a term of imprisonment in India for child sex offences and thus the victim did not proceed with their allegation.

A second allegation was then made in 2016, which was again reported to police and the current investigation commenced.

In 2017, another victim came forward. Following this, police made contact with the complainant. A fourth complainant was identified and the cases were all linked to Waters.

The complainants all gave detailed accounts of the incidents that occurred during this time period.

Detective Sergeant Phil McElhone, the investigating officer, said: “I would firstly like to thank the complainants for coming forward and supporting the investigation and assisting us in achieving justice against this prolific offender.

“I can only hope that Waters’ sentencing has brought some closure to the victims and that their courage in speaking up will encourage others who have suffered abuse of any types current or historic, to do the same.

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Ashley Corbin used £295 in Amazon vouchers and £40 via PayPal to buy footage of girls who had been blackmailed.

The 35-year-old who has recently changed his name by deed poll to Kevin Smith, has been sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 16 months in jail suspended for two years.

He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order after admitting three counts of making indecent images of children.

Officers raided his home in West Downs Close, Fareham in June 2019.

They seized his computers and found 130 images and videos, as well as 4,534 images and videos on cloud accounts.

In total Corbin had 329 Category A images - the most serious - 604 Category B and 4,990 Category C.

Many of the children had been forced to state their names and age on camera, according to the National Crime Agency.

Andy Peach, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “This was one of a series of investigations into paedophiles who bought Abul Elahi’s horrific content and encouraged him to keep offending.

“Anyone who buys or accesses material like this is fundamentally responsible for more and more children being sexually abused and the lives that are wrecked because of it.

“For the NCA there is no greater priority than protecting children. We will never stop hunting men like Corbin and Elahi.”

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Ian Wraith, 71, is said to have an ‘entrenched and enduring addiction’ to looking at the images of youngsters - some of whom were prepubescent.

Such is his obsession that he stored his 1.5m paedophile images in categorised folders across two hard drives and a laptop so he can find his choice more easily, a court heard.

Former timber merchant worker Wraith was jailed in October 2015 after spending up to 16 hours a day running a paedophile website based in India.

When he was arrested with millions of images he told police he had ‘every single indecent image possibly in existence’. He had more than a national police database.

Today Portsmouth Crown Court heard he was released early from a four-year term in December 2017 but then recalled in March 2018 and jailed again for 16 extra weeks for having more images.

But when he was released from jail in February last year he went straight back to sharing images from the home in Portchester he shares with his 63-year-old wife.

He ‘couldn’t resist looking’ at the images, prosecutor Jeffrey Lamb said.

Sitting at home just weeks before lockdown he started accessing two hard drives filled with images not previously seized by police.

Police found a laptop and the hard drives under his bed, along with printed perverted images in an A4 folder pre-dating his first jail sentence in 2015.

When arrested and asked what he felt about the victims of abuse he said: ‘Nothing.’

Wraith was arrested in December last year when police were tipped off he was using peer-to-peer sharing software, downloading and distributing images direct from and to other perverts’ computers.

Mr Lamb added: ‘He believes everybody should have access to those types of images.

‘He went on to say it’s a free world and this type of material should not be blocked because of somebody else’s thought patterns.’

He added: ‘There are 288,878 confirmed illegal images but only 18 per cent of the files had been viewed (by police).

‘Those investigating him estimate there could be in excess of 1.5m images of children on all of the exhibits seized from Mr Wraith.’

A psychiatric report found he was fit to plead in court.

In 2015 Wraith had 1.2m confirmed indecent images while running the India-based website where users paid around $40 to access pictures.

Appearing for Wraith at an earlier hearing, barrister Rose Burns said: ‘It's quite apparent from the papers and the man’s previous convictions and continued behaviour he has an entrenched and enduring addiction to child abuse images.’

Judge David Melville QC jailed Wraith, of Birdwood Grove, for three years and said he had an ‘extraordinary’ number of images in the ‘appalling’ and ‘very serious’ case.

Wraith told police he alone was responsible for the images at home.

He admitted seven charges - breaching a sexual harm prevention order, three charges of distribution and three of making indecent images - at all categories of severity.

Tim Compton, mitigating, said: ‘He got out of prison in February, a matter of three or four weeks before the country went into lockdown.

‘He was therefore stuck at home with items that the police, and I’m not blaming the police, had not seized previously and the devil makes work for idle hands.’

Charges reveal he shared 293 images on peer-to-peer software.

He must comply with a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A sex offender from Fareham has been jailed for 24 years after being found guilty of a string of sexual offences.

A jury found Steven Ward, 43, of Chartwell Close, Fareham, guilty of 15 counts of rape, five counts of sexual activity with a child and one sexual assault between 2006 and 2017.

Portsmouth Crown Court was told that the offences were committed against three girls.

Ward pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child.

The jury found him not guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape.

Yesterday (January 13) he was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

DC Marie Duffy said: “I would like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and trusting us enough to tell us what had happened to them.

“Without their courage this depraved man would not be behind bars today.

“I hope that today’s conviction and jail sentence gives others who have suffered abuse of this nature the confidence to report it to police.

“We will always take these sorts of allegations extremely seriously, and wholeheartedly commend the courage it takes to speak out many years after incidents have happened.”

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Kenneth Mann, 43, a plasterer, now of Seafield Road, Portchester was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday for the offences which happened in Hastings.

He had been convicted at Hove Crown Court on March 23 of the rape and sexual assault of the girl, and of inciting her to commit an act of gross indecency.

He was acquitted of further alleged offences against the girl of indecency with a child, sexual assault, and indecent assault.

Mann will also be a registered sex offender for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to last indefinitely, prohibiting him from any contact with the victim.

Detective Sergeant Steve Shimmons of the Hastings-based Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: ‘The girl was aged between nine and 13 at the time of the offences.

‘Mann came to know her locally in Hastings and cynically took advantage of her innocence and vulnerability for several years in the early to mid 2000s, for his own sexual gratification, until he moved away to Hampshire.

‘She kept this distressing experience to herself until four years ago when she first contacted us.

‘Even at that stage she was reluctant to support a prosecution, but then came back to us again, and over time we gained her confidence to enable the investigation to progress.

‘She bravely gave evidence in court, and this was crucial in helping to secure the guilty verdicts.

‘If you or anyone you know is being, or has been, subjected to this sort of predatory behaviour, do not suffer in silence.