Latest Offenders Portsmouth

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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.

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Christopher Foulger, 34, of Fort Cumberland Road, was sentenced on November 24 at Winchester Crown Court to two years imprisonment.

The sentence is for causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The offence took place at an address on Albert Road in Southsea on August 28 of this year.

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A 31 year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to 4 years in prison after a woman reported she was raped at her address in Waterlooville.

Jack Thomas Heasman of Byron Road in Buckland admitted to raping a 22 year-old woman at the victim’s home on Saturday 15 November 2020.

After pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 13 October, he was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

DS Harry Wilson said “I hope that this result reassures our community that we take these allegations very seriously, and that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

“We would like to commend the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation and to thank her for having the courage to report this to us.

We will relentlessly pursue offenders to secure justice for their victims and want to reassure anyone who reports incidents of serious sexual assault and rape to us that they will be believed”.

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

Terry Neale, aged 55, was identified after a contact of his, Stephen Porter, was arrested in June 2020 by officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

Porter was convicted of child sexual exploitation offences in September last year and jailed for 20 years. The pair had known each other for more than 20 years and met up in Australia when Porter was coaching youth Australian football players.

AFP officers recovered videos 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, none of which had knowledge of his offending until it was discovered by the AFP.

The victims in the UK videos have been spoken to and safeguarded.

Neale was arrested by NCA officers at his home address in January 2021.

He appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (27 September) where he pleaded guilty to voyeurism and indecent images of children offences (possessing and making).

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 is due to be sentenced at the same court on 15 January 2024.

NCA Operations Manager Martin Ludlow said: "Terry Neale flagrantly abused the position of trust he’d held in the community in the most shocking way.

"He should have been someone to be looked up to and admired, but instead he preyed on innocent young children to satisfy his and Stephen Porter’s sexual gratification. His offending was cowardly and devious.

"The NCA will continue to do all it can, in collaboration with international partners like the Australian Federal Police, to pursue offenders like Neale and protect the victims of online child sexual abuse."

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A British Army soldier has been sacked from the forces for sexually assaulting a teenage colleague by groping her breast and sliding his hand up her skirt while shouting 'I'm so hard' in her ear.

Lance Corporal Storm Elliott, who was in training to be a Royal Military Police officer, had been found guilty of twice touching the female soldier inappropriately during a night out clubbing.

Witnesses told a military court the 22-year-old pestered the young woman on the dancefloor and continued to grope her even after she rejected his advances.

He was described as a 'lovesick puppy', persisting even after she told him not to kiss her and pushed his hand away when he touched her breast.

LCpl Elliot had claimed the touching was consensual, but after a two day trial a board decided the attention was unwanted and he had grabbed the young woman's crotch.

At his sentencing, LCpl Elliott was discharged from the forces and placed on a three-year service community order.

The teenage victim had told his trial she had been worried about reporting the incidents because 'he was an RMP [Royal Military Police officer] and no one was going to believe it'.

She told Bulford Military Court, Wilts: 'I could feel him touching my breast in a way I didn't want him to.

'It wasn't very long because I stopped him from doing it. I was confused as to why he'd done it.

'I felt something under my dress on my underwear. I pushed his hand away. I walked straight to [my friend] and said I needed to leave.'

LCpl Elliott had become enamoured with the female soldier after the two met at the Popworld nightclub in Portsmouth, Hants, where he was on a night out from his base at the nearby Defence School of Policing and Guarding.

She continued: 'He came up to me and said I looked gorgeous. He shouted in my ear because the music was loud.'

The court heard LCpl Elliott had shouted comments in her ear - and kept trying to kiss the young woman despite being told 'no'.

She said: 'He was pushing his top half of his body towards me to kiss me. I couldn't get back any further. He asked for a kiss and I said no. He just kept on trying.'

One of the woman's friends even referred to LCpl Elliott as a 'lovesick puppy' - telling the court she had thought him 'a little strange' because he introduced himself as 'Lance Corporal Elliott'.

The victim told the trial she had been scared to tell officers about the incident due to LCpl Elliott's more senior position in the Army.

She said: 'The way I saw it was that he was an RMP [Royal Military Police officer] and no one was going to believe it.'

Judge Advocate General Alan Large told LCpl Elliot the offences were 'serious enough to warrant dismissal'.

He said: 'You were drunk and found the victim attractive. On the dancefloor you touched her on her breast when it was clear she did not want your attention.

'There are two offences - not just one. Alcohol may explain a person's behaviour, but it does not excuse it. There are two offences and clearly one of them more serious - serious enough to warrant dismissal.'

LCpl Elliott was also placed on a three year service community order - requiring him to complete 35 sessions of an accredited sexual offender behaviour programme and 30 days rehabilitation activity.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for five years.

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A paedophile who intended to abuse a schoolgirl turned up to a sting because he was “curious”, a court heard.

Gordon Welch, 67, arrived at McDonald’s in Shirley equipped with condoms, lubricant, and Viagra to meet what he thought was an 11-year-old child.

A court heard how the former DJ of Sheffield Road, Fratton, had been talking with a man online to arrange to meet and abuse his young daughter.

Using the aliases “Portsmouthmeet” and “Portsmouthnoman”, Welch spoke with the man, who was in fact an officer from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, indicating his intention to meet and sexually abuse the girl.

Prosecuting, Caroline Moonan explained how Welch told the officer, who went by the name of Jack, that he would “touch her”, asked for a picture of her in her uniform and even said he would have sex with the girl if she was willing. 

Agreeing to meet the “father and daughter”, Welch drove from Portsmouth to Southampton on May 12, this year.

However, when he arrived, he was met with police officers who arrested him at around 10am.

 Upon being searched, he was found with three condoms, flavoured lubricant and a Viagra tablet.

Ms Moonan explained how after he was arrested, he said: “I knew it was a trap but I was curious”.

She added that he “genuinely wanted to be with Jack’s daughter”.

When his home address was later searched, a pink Hello Kitty top and a packet containing more lubricant were found.

Welch originally pleaded not guilty claiming he didn’t intend to do anything sexual, but later changed his plea to guilty.

However, defending, Jamie Gammon told the court that he had “found it hard to accept that he would have engaged in contact had the opportunity arose there”.

“[There is] still an element in his mind that nothing would have happened. He says he would have driven off.”

He added that Welch indicates a “willingness to address his behaviour” and has the support of his wife who remains loyal to him. 

 Southampton Crown Court heard Welch has three previous convictions for six offences and was previously arrested for alleged sexual matters that he was never charged for.

The judge, Recorder Don Tait, told Welch “you remain a high risk to children”.

“You’re still in denial that you committed this offence. Thankfully on this occasion, no real victim was involved.

“But it was not through a lack of effort on your own.”

Welch was jailed for four years and six months for arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

He was also made subject to notification requirements for the next 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

The items seized by police are set to be forfeited and destroyed. 

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A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a woman in Portsmouth City Centre last summer.

Daniel Booth, who was 18 at the time he committed the offence but is now 20, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Monday 7 November).

In addition to his prison sentence, of which he will be required to serve at least two thirds in custody, he will also have to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Booth, of Beresford Road, pleaded not guilty to the rape, which took place on June 29 2021, but was found guilty by a jury following a trial at the same court in June 2022.

The jury heard how the victim, a woman in her 20s, reported to police that she had been separated from her friends shortly after 11pm following a night out in Portsmouth. She reported waking up in what officers later determined to be Hippodrome House Car Park in the early hours of June 30th with no recollection of what had happened to her.

She was located by members of the public who found her in the car park and helped her to contact her friends and ensured that she got home.

An investigation was launched, led by Hampshire Constabulary’s specialist Operation Amberstone team, and extensive CCTV enquiries led to the arrest of Booth.

Further CCTV, forensic and mobile phone analysis subsequently led to him being charged with one count of rape.

An examination of Booth’s mobile phone by police showed that prior to his arrest, he had been doing web searches on Google about rape including how someone can be convicted of rape and what evidence police need to charge someone with rape. He also visited the CPS website on how the Crown Prosecution Service prosecute rape.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman involved said that what happened to her will be a nightmare that she will forever have to live with.

Sentencing Booth, Judge Timothy Mousley KC commended the bravery of the victim after Booth had put her through a trial by pleading not guilty as he “did not have the courage to admit the obvious”.

Judge Mousley also commended the actions of the young man who found the victim and made sure she got to a place of safety while looking after her and ensuring she was eventually reunited with her friends.

He told Booth: “She could not have anticipated what happened to her that night and was incapable of protecting herself from you. You took complete advantage of her. You carried her to the place where you violently raped her and abandoned her, you left her in the cold and wet.”

Operation Amberstone Detective Constable Nick Sandford-Smith, who led the investigation, said: “This was a truly terrible and predatory crime that has understandably had a significant impact on the woman involved.

“The courage it takes to come forward and speak to us about incidents of this nature should not be underestimated and I would like to take this opportunity to commend this young woman for the bravery she has shown.

“The fact that Booth is now in prison is testament to her courage in speaking out and assisting police with this investigation.

“The Operation Amberstone team works tirelessly to target perpetrators of rape, and provide specialist support to survivors who have been affected.

“I hope that this sentence goes some way to helping the woman involved gain closure and begin to move forward with her life. We want our communities, and survivors of abuse, to know that we stand with them and will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Portsmouth Detective Chief Inspector Dal Andrews said: “No-one in our community should ever be in a position where they do not feel safe walking the streets. For someone to be targeted in this way is abhorrent and will never be tolerated by police.

“First and foremost I would like to say thank you to the woman involved for her courage in telling us what happened and assisting so bravely with the investigation.

“I would also like to commend the actions of the members of the public who stopped to help her and made sure she got home safely.

“We continue with our dedicated patrols at times when our pubs and clubs are at their busiest. A key focus of our officers, together with our partners including pubs and clubs, is to identify vulnerable people and safeguard them, as well as targeting and calling out perpetrators, arresting and using dispersal powers where necessary.

“We work very hard in Portsmouth to tackle sexual offences in partnership with organisations that support survivors. We want you to have the confidence to come forward and talk to us if something has happened to you, or somebody you know.”

We encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse to report this to police on 101 or via our online reporting tool.

Always call 999 if a crime is in progress or you feel that you’re in danger.

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A Taunton man has been handed a life sentence for carrying out a series of rape and sexual assault offences.

Elias Arberry, of Moorland Road, was sentenced today (Friday 14 October) at Taunton Crown Court to a life sentence, with a minimum term of 15 and a half years, after he pleaded guilty to seven offences, including four counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of wounding with intent.

The court heard how 25-year-old Arberry had violently assaulted the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, inflicting serious injuries before raping her in May this year.

The victim managed to raise the alarm when Arberry had fallen asleep and she escaped.

Officers conducted a 26-hour search for the defendant, where he was found at a hotel in Weston-super-Mare.

Along with his conviction, he will be a registered sex offender for life. The victim has also been given a life-time restraining order against Arberry.

In an impact statement, the victim said: “At my age, most people are thinking about finding a partner to share their life with and settling down. However, I also feel that opportunity has been taken away from me.

“I am extremely angry about what he did to me. It has impacted literally every aspect of my life and takes up most of my thoughts throughout the day, every day and then at night as well – I cannot get away from it.

“I feel I have really only scratched the surface of how this has affected me and how it will affect me probably for the rest of my life.”

Speaking about the incident, the victim’s mother said: “Since that day at the start of May, I literally feel like I have been living a nightmare.

“You watch things on the news and you hear so much about the violence against women and girls, but you never think that sort of thing will happen to you or your family.

“I never use the word ‘hate’ because it is such a strong word and I have taught my children never to use that word. However, I hate Arberry for what he has done to my daughter and to our family.”

Detective Inspector Nadine Partridge said: “This defendant carried out a horrific series of offences against the victim, which are among some of the worst I’ve had to investigate during my policing career.

“The heinous crimes Arberry committed have caused the victim long-lasting mental and physical injuries.

“She has shown incredible bravery and strength in assisting the police in this investigation, so we’ve been able to put a very dangerous man behind bars, preventing him causing harm to anyone else.

“This is a welcome result for both the victim and her family and will hopefully give the victim the closure and justice she needs to move forward with her life.”

Gareth Giddings, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said: “The CPS worked closely alongside our partners in the police to support their investigation and build the strongest possible case.

“This work, supported by the victim’s own account of what happened to her, resulted in Arberry pleading guilty and ensured that he will be held responsible for his appalling crimes.

“I would like to commend and thank the victim in this case for coming forward to tell her story and support the prosecution.

“Rape and sexual assault have a devastating effect on victims and the CPS is committed to working with our partners in the criminal justice system to deliver justice and make the public safer.”

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A 'predatory' paedophile living next door to a primary school who directed a man in the US to sexually abuse a toddler while he watched online has been jailed for 20 years.

Luke Smith, 53, lived just yards away from the school in West Sussex as he begged the man to commit the horrific acts to a 20-month-old toddler on camera for him.

He then moved to a new home sandwiched between two inner-city schools in Portsmouth which are a stone's throw from each other.

But the convicted paedophile has been jailed for 20 years after a string of offences including posing as a 20-year-old woman on an online messaging service to convince the unnamed man in the US to sexually abuse his partner's son.

Officers from Sussex Police worked alongside the FBI in the US to catch the predator who was committing crimes online while using fake names and a different gender.

After raiding his home, they found child porn and chat logs with dozens of requests Smith made for the victim to be abused.

Smith had been living on a street right next to Barnham Primary School in West Sussex.

But a few months later, he moved to a road in Portsmouth right next to Mayfield School and round the corner from Cliffdale Primary Academy.

Smith admitted 13 child sex offences at Portsmouth Crown Court - nine of which were encouraging the penetrative sexual assault of a child under 13 and four of making indecent images of children.

The offences occurred between July 2018 and December 2019.

Detective Sergeant David Rose, from Sussex Police, said: 'Luke Smith is a predatory paedophile who thought he could hide by committing his crimes online while pretending to be a different gender and using a fake name.

'Although Smith's actions cannot be undone, we hope that his admission of guilt and long custodial sentence will bring some form of closure to the victim and his family.

'His actions are amongst the most reprehensible the team have encountered, and I thank them for their strength and professionalism throughout the investigation.

'We would also like to place on record our thanks to the FBI for their help and transparency during the investigation.'

Smith is now on the sex offenders register for life.

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A 41-year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to more than two years in prison after admitting to an indecent exposure in Southsea.

Terry Colin Cronin, of St Michaels Road, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The charges relate to an incident that was reported to us in June of last year.

On  the morning of June 8 2021, a woman in her 60s was walking along Frensham Road when she saw a man indecently exposing himself and carrying out a sexual act at the window of a nearby property. He then knocked on the window in an attempt to get her attention.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday (24 August), Cronin was sentenced to 26 months in prison and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable James Adams, who led the investigation, said: “In imposing this custodial sentence, the court has acknowledged the severity of this offence, the impact on the victim and the community as a whole. I would like to thank the woman involved in this case who felt able to tell us about what had happened and played a vital role in securing this conviction.

“Cronin’s actions placed the woman in a shocking and distressing situation. No-one should be made to feel this way and we hope that this sentence shows that we will investigate reports of this nature and do everything in our power to bring perpetrators to justice.

"We hope that people feel they can speak to us, or one of the many support services available, if they have been the victim of this type of crime.”