Search results for Portsmouth

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A man has been jailed for 14 years at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Friday 12 June), following a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary investigation into three rape and non-recent child sex-offences in Portsmouth and Havant.

In late 2023, weeks before he turned 18-years-old, Dameon Etherington, of Greetham Street in Portsmouth, raped a 14-year-old girl who he had met online.

Etherington raped her again on a second occasion in January 2024. Both incidents took place in Portsmouth.

In late 2025, we received a report that Etherington had restrained and raped a woman in her 20s at knifepoint in Havant.

Following an investigation by the Operation Amberstone team, Etherington, now 20-years-old, was subsequently arrested and charged.

After initially denying the offences, Etherington changed his plea on the first day of his trial and pled guilty to the following:

• Rape
• Two counts of rape of a female aged 13/14/15

He appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing today, and was jailed for 14 years, with an additional 4 years on extended licence.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and was handed a 15-year sexual harm prevention order.

Officer in the Case, Detective Sergeant Hollie Shelton of the Major Crime Support team said:

“Today’s sentence is very welcome and a much-deserved punishment for the crimes Etherington has committed.

“Etherington specifically targeted and exploited vulnerable girls and women, subjecting them to violent rapes for his own gratification.

“His actions have had a profound and lasting impact on both victims; one who had not long turned 14 at the time of the incidents, and the other who is in her 20s, but has her own vulnerabilities that he took advantage of.

“Their brave Victim Impact Statements highlighted the damage that Etherington caused to many aspects of their lives and I hope they take solace in the fact that he is now aware of this and has not been able to continue living his life without consequences.

“No sentence will ever truly be able to bring justice to the victims of such an awful crime, but I hope knowing this dangerous man in now behind bars will give them the starting point to move forward in their lives.

“I would also like to thank both victims for their tremendous courage in reporting these hugely traumatic incidents to us. Their continued support throughout the investigation and court process has been invaluable in helping us secure this result today.”

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Momodau Bojang, 56, of Bramble Road in Southsea appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 22 May, where he was sentenced for raping and strangling a woman in her 40s in October 2025.

Bojang pleaded not guilty to the offences, and previously appeared at the same court on Monday 16 March for trial.

At court, the jury heard how police had been called in the early hours of Tuesday 28 October, by a woman reporting that Bojang was not letting her leave his address on Bramble Road.

Officers attended and located the woman, before arresting Bojang and taking him into custody.

When speaking with the woman later the same day, she disclosed to officers that over the course of multiple days, whilst staying at Bojang’s address, he had raped and restrained her.

Following a five-day trial, the jury found Bojang guilty of both rape and intentional strangulation, and he was sentenced to eight years and 10 months imprisonment, which also reflected a breach of a previous suspended sentence.

He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register for life. 

Detective Constable Ellie Light from Hampshire an Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Operation Amberstone team said:

“I am very pleased to see Bojang face the justice he deserves for this awful crime.

“His behaviour demonstrates that he is clearly a dangerous and violent individual who believes he can treat other people deplorably with no consequence for his actions.

“I would like to thank the victim for her courage in speaking up about what happened to her and for her support throughout the investigation and court proceedings. She has been integral in helping us put Bojang behind bars.

“I would like to encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak to us.

“We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously. You will be supported and we will thoroughly investigate any report made to us.”

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A man has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for sexually abusing a young girl.

Jamie Charles Lewis, 43, of Bath Road in Southsea, was charged with three counts of sexual assault by touching of a girl under 13.

The offences took place in the Portsmouth area between 2014 and 2016.

On Friday 16 January, Lewis was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court following a trial.

He was also made subject of a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Emily Sargent, of the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

“I firstly want to thank the victim in this case for her outstanding bravery in coming forward and speaking to the police about these incidents.

“The defendant will now be in prison for a long time, and I sincerely hope this sentence gives other victims of sexual offences the confidence to bring their case to us.

“No matter how long ago the incident occurred we will do everything we can to investigate and bring offenders to justice.”

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A man has been jailed for 15 years for five counts of serious sexual offences against a child committed between 2020-2022. 

Rhogan Kent, 28, of London Road in Portsmouth appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday 14 January, where he was sentenced for the following child sex offences:

• Rape of a child under 13
• Two counts of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13
• Sexual touching of a child under 13
• Inciting a child under 13 to commit a sexual act

The abuse was first reported to police in September 2022 and a lengthy investigation was commenced by Detective Hannah Owen who was attached to the Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) at the time.

Kent was found guilty of the offences by a jury on 4th November 2025, following a 7-day trial, and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with an extended licence for five years. He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Sergeant Hannah Owen from the Eastern Criminal Investigation Department team said:

“Whilst no sentence can ever take back what the victim and their family have gone through, I am pleased to see Kent face justice and be put behind bars for these truly barbaric crimes.

“I would like to thank the young victim and their family for their courage and resolve throughout this investigation. Their support has been key to us securing this result and I truly hope that this can help put them on the path to rebuilding their lives.

“We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by child sexual abuse to please report this too us. We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and promise you that we will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”

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A man who sexually abused a child in Waterlooville has been jailed for 30 years.

Michael Lashley, aged 38, abused the girl at his home address. The sexualised abuse began when she was just three years-old, and continued over a number of years, with the severity of the abuse escalating as time went on.

Lashley repeatedly raped the child, and threatened to harm her if she ever told anyone what he was doing.

During this time, Lashley also drank alcohol and physically assaulted the young girl.

When the girl was a teenager, she messaged Lashley about the abuse she had endured from a young age and threatened to tell the police. In response, Lashley begged her not to tell anyone before referring to himself as a ‘weak person’, and that he was scared of going to prison and would ‘not be able to cope’.

In April 2021, the girl told a teacher at school who in turn contacted the police.

A lengthy investigation ensued, which resulted in Lashley being charged in August 2024 with four counts of raping a child, one count of sexually assaulting a child and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Lashley, now of no fixed abode, denied the offences, but was found guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court on 15 October 2025, following a trial.

Appearing at the same court on Friday 16 January this year, he was jailed for 30 years, and handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order.

DC Kerry Needham said:

“This was a horrific case of repeated rape and sexual abuse on a child who was just three years-old when the abuse began.

“It is utterly inconceivable that a human being could treat a child like this. The bravery shown by this girl in coming forward and not allowing Lashley to get away with his unspeakable crimes is astonishing.

“She should be commended for her courage, and it is because of her that this dangerous offender will now spend a lengthy period of time in prison.”

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A man has been jailed after attempting to groom a 13-year-old girl online.

On Monday 22 December, Brynley Hocking was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 3 years and 4 months in prison after pleading guilty to arranging and facilitating sexual activity with a child, attempting to form sexual communications and possession of indecent images of children.

Hocking, 45, of Chichester Road in Portsmouth, sought to groom a 13-year-old girl online and during the communication stated he wanted to meet the child for sex.

Unknown to him, he was actually communicating with an undercover officer.

On his arrest Hocking was found to be in possession of extreme pornographic material including bestiality and indecent images of children, some as young as two years of age. 

As well as the imprisonment, Hocking will also be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

A police spokesperson said:

"The fact remains there have been in this investigation numerous children whom have been seriously sexually abused, harmed, and exploited, in the indecent images that Hocking possessed. 

"Online offending around indecent images of children is a crime, each image represents a child that has been abused. If you are a victim of online abuse, there is support out there for you."

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A man has been sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for a sexual assault and assault in Portsmouth.

Philip Rooney, 48, appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (Friday 17 October) in relation to two incidents which took place on Monday 21 July.

On Monday 21 July, Rooney approached a 16 year-old girl on Milton Lane in Portsmouth and touched her inappropriately over her clothing.

The girl then ran home and told her parents what had happened, who went out to look for Rooney.

On finding him, Rooney attempted to flee and was detained by the father whilst the police were called.

Rooney began head-butting the father repeatedly, causing him to sustain a bloody nose.

He escaped, but was subsequently identified by an officer and arrested the following day.

Rooney was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court on 15 September of sexual assault and assault by beating.

He appeared again at the same court today, where he was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment.

Detective Constable Amy Thatcher from the Eastern Criminal Investigations Department said:

“I am pleased with today’s sentence and to see Rooney face justice for his actions.

“I understand that coming forward to police to report can feel difficult and scary, but we have specialist teams who will support you.

“We are here to listen to anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault and we promise to take every report incredibly seriously and investigate robustly.”

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A 44 year-old man has been jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of rape, intentional strangulation, assault and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a private place, following a four-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Jacek Piotr Pupiec, of Newcombe Road in Portsmouth was sentenced at the same court on Friday 8 August, where he was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Pupiec was charged following an investigation into the assault and rape of a woman aged in her 30s, who was known to him, at an address on Eastney Road in May 2023.

DC Ellie Light from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabularys specialist Operation Amberstone team said:

I am very happy to see Pupiec jailed for a considerable amount of time for his despicable crimes.

I hope that this sentence, as well as the indefinite restraining order Pupiec received, will bring the victim some form of closure and a sense of justice for what she has been through.

I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and thank her for her support throughout the investigation and court process.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary take all allegations of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims.

We will not tolerate violence against women and girls in our communities, and it is our promise to anyone who comes forward to report that you will be believed and have the allegations taken extremely seriously.

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A 22-year-old man has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of a sexual offence following a seven day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Rene Blankson of Ernest Road in Fratton was arrested and subsequently charged after a 16-year-old girl was attacked in Fratton early on Saturday 20 July last year.

The teenager was walking along Fratton Road at around 01:15am when a man she did not know started talking to her. He then assaulted her in St Mary’s churchyard. The girl managed to run away and asked a member of the public for help.

On Thursday 1 May 2025 Blankson was found guilty of assaulting a female aged thirteen or over by penetration with a part of the body by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court. He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday 14 August to five years in prison, an additional three year extended license period, and is subject to a restraining order for life.

Following the trial Blankson was found not guilty of other offences including sexual assault, and non-fatal strangulation.

Officer in the case Detective Constable Amy Thatcher said:

“This attack has continued to have a significant impact on the victim both physically and mentally. Her bravery in speaking to us and reliving the most traumatic moments of her childhood is to be commended and I truly hope this court result assists her recovery.

“We take all allegations of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences, it is our promise to you that you will be heard and listened to. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”

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Robert Mellish, 57, of Hillsley Road, Paulsgrove, was sentenced to 16 years in prison at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday, October 2. He was found guilty of a number of offences, including rape, involving a boy under the age of 13 with police commending the victims “bravery and steadfastness”.

DC Emily Sargent of the Eastern Child Investigation Team said, “Whilst I know this result cannot remove the memories of what Mellish has done for the young victim or their family, I am pleased that justice has been served for them and that Mellish is now behind bars where he belongs.

The support of the young victim and their family has been invaluable in this case and I’d like to commend them for bravery and steadfastness throughout.”

Mellish was found guilty of the following charges at Portsmouth Crown Court by a jury on Monday, June 24:

Two counts of rape of a boy under 13, on no less than three occasions

Four counts of causing a child under 13 to watch / look at an image of sexual activity

One count of assault a boy under 13 by touching

Three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13

DS Lucy Gransden of the Eastern Child Investigation Team said “I would also like to thank everyone who has been involved in this case for their hard work, which has helped secure this conviction.

I hope this sentence will reassure other victims that we take every report of this nature extremely seriously and we will listen to you if you come forward and speak to us.”

The police have also highlighted that anyone who has concerns about child abuse can also report it anonymously by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood, or is concerned about a child, can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

The different types of support and services available to victims of sexual assault can be found on the Hampshire police website.

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Surajit Ghosh, aged 27, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing today (Thursday 20 June).

Police had received a report on the evening of Saturday, May 272023 of an unknown man touching an 8-year-old girl’s bottom in Tesco on Crasswell Street, before running off down another aisle. The man was then chased through the supermarket by a family member of the girl, before the man ran out of the store. Police attended and conducted an area search, before making enquiries with witnesses at the supermarket and reviewing CCTV.

Ghosh was quickly identified to be the man responsible, and officers turned up at his home address in Drummond Road that night to arrest him. He was found inside hiding behind a sofa, before he became aggressive – threatening to stab officers and resisting arrest. He also dug his fingernails into a police officer’s hand, drawing blood.

Following enquiries, Ghosh was charged with sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching and assault of an emergency worker, both of which he pleaded guilty to at Portsmouth Crown Court on October 2 2023. On 15 April this year, he also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of perverting the course of justice. Ghosh had contacted the mother of the girl he sexually assaulted and asked her to drop the charges against him - he did this despite having already pleaded guilty to the sexual assault.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court today, he was jailed for 18 months. He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, handed a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and a 10 year Restraining Order.

DC Heather Milsom said: “This was a shocking series of offences which left a very young girl upset and her family horrified, and saw police officers subjected to violence and extreme threats. To add further insult, Ghosh used Facebook to contact the girl’s mother in an attempt to get proceedings against him dropped, despite having already admitted his awful crimes in court. I want to commend the girl for her bravery in speaking to police about what was undoubtedly a very worrying incident for her, and also want to thank her family. I hope the wider public can feel reassured that Ghosh was quickly identified by police and arrested for his actions, and is now behind bars.”

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Sebastine Kava Liliu - the first Solomon Islander to join the service - raped his vulnerable victim in bushes just yards from The Astoria nightclub in Winston Churchill Avenue and left her in floods of tears on February 11 just after 1am.

Liliu, of no fixed address, was charged with rape before admitting the offence at Portsmouth Crown Court previously and was sentenced to six years in prison at the same court today (Thursday 13 June). He will also be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Upon sentencing the judge, Michael Bowes KC, said: “What you did that night has had a very profound effect on the aggrieved. As well as the physical damage you caused, you have caused psychological harm that will remain with her for many years, and probably the rest of her life.”

A 28-year-old man from Portsmouth previously arrested on suspicion of rape as part of police enquiries was released without charge and will face no further action.

DI Marcus Baker from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s specialist Operation Amberstone team said: “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that Sebastine Kava Liliu’s behaviour will not be tolerated. He targeted a woman who was enjoying a night out and had attacked her within twenty minutes of first coming into contact with her. Our officers on patrol in the area identified that she was in a distressed state shortly afterwards and an investigation was immediately launched.

I’m pleased that this sentence will finally provide some closure to his victim. I’d like to commend her bravery and I hope this case encourages others to speak out and seek support if they have been victims of sexual assaults.

We are continuing to carry out work in Portsmouth to keep people safe in our night time economy. This involves dedicated patrols and work with other agencies, including Portsmouth City Council, the Violent Crime Reduction Unit, and security and staff at all of our licensed premises. We have also been focused on educating the public on what constitutes a sexual offence, how they can report and the support available to them.

We take all allegations of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences, it is our promise to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases.”

A police spokesperson added: “We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.

“We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.”

For information and contact details relating to sexual abuse support services, visit: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/

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A 20 year-old man has been jailed for seven and a half years for rape and possession of an offensive weapon in Portsmouth.

Wade Terry King of no fixed address in the city was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl at an address on Foster Road on Saturday 12 March 2022.

After failing to appear for his trail in November 2023, King, who was 18 at the time of the offence, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 15 February to 7 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

King was also sentenced to a further 6 months imprisonment for the possession of an offensive weapon in June 2023.

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A former sports coach from Portsmouth who supplied videos of naked swimming pupils to an Australian paedophile has been jailed.

Terry Neale, 55, from North End, was tracked down and arrested by National Crime Agency officers in January 2021, after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) recovered the videos and shared them with the Agency.

Neale had sent the videos to Stephen Porter, who was arrested by the AFP in June 2020 and later jailed for 20 years for child sexual exploitation offences.

The pair had known each other for more than 20 years and met up in Australia when Porter was coaching Australian rules football youth players.

AFP officers recovered two videos from Porter taken by Neale in 2013 of a young boy getting dressed after bathing at his house. Neale can be seen speaking with the child and providing towels.

Other videos shared by Neale showed pupils getting changed at swimming pools in the Portsmouth area. In one video, Neale appears to place a bag on a bench and adjusts a hidden camera. He’s then seen walking around the changing room and talking to naked boys.

In further videos of children’s swimming lessons, taken with a hidden camera in August 2013, Neale is wearing wet clothing and goggles, suggesting he has been in the water with pupils.

He was employed by a swimming school at the time and also worked as a local amateur youth football coach for various teams. NCA investigators identified all of the children in the videos, and they have since been spoken to and safeguarded.

Neale pleaded guilty to voyeurism and indecent images of children offences (possessing and making) at Winchester Crown Court on 27 September last year. One count of arranging / facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13 and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images will lie on file.

He was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment at the same court today (6 February). He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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Vaclav Kopcil, 52, of All Saints Road, Portsmouth, was found guilty of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, sexual activity with a child, and two counts of rape of a female aged under 16 years.

The trial heard that the offences took place in the Portsmouth area during a five year period between, between September 2009 and April 2014. The victim was just 10 years old at the time of the first offence.

Kopcil pleaded not guilty to the offences, however a jury found him guilty on all counts following a seven day trial. Kopcil appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court where he was sentenced for 18 years in prison.