Search results for Chichester

Description

This man began grooming and sexually exploiting a girl when he was 47, and she was just 14. Now he's behind bars.

Mark Rowley committed the offences in Brighton and around Sussex between 2022 and 2024.

The 14-year-old victim was subjected to repeated rapes by Rowley, where he would beat her if she refused to comply. He also verbally abused her, leaving her in fear of doing something that would make him angry.

Rowley made the victim believe that they were in a relationship, and he would also frequently request she took and sent him explicit photos.

In a report to police on 22 February this year, details of the abuse surfaced and an investigation was promptly launched.

Rowley was arrested on 27 February in connection with a number of sexual offences against the victim.

Mark Rowley, now 52, of Anna Sewell Way, Chichester, was charged the following morning with rape, engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl age 13 to 15, and meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming. He was then remanded in custody.

The case proceeded to trial on 17 August at Brighton Crown Court. On 21 August, the jury found Rowley guilty of all charges, and he was remanded back into custody ahead of his sentencing.

On Monday, 14 September at Brighton Crown Court, Rowley was sent to prison for 15 years.

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Constable Dan Bentley, said:

"In this case, Mark Rowley saw an opportunity to exploit, manipulate, and use the victim for his own sexual gratification.

"Rowley's actions have had a significant and lasting impact on the victim, who has shown immense courage throughout what has undoubtedly been an extremely difficult and distressing process.

"The victim has been supported by specialist officers throughout the investigation, and we commend her bravery in coming forward and supporting the investigation at every step.

"Now Rowley has been sentenced, we hope this outcome reinforces the message that reports of sexual offending will be listened to, will be supported, and will be taken seriously."

Description

A man from West Sussex who committed multiple child abuse offences, including paying for children in the Philippines to be sexually abused to order, has been jailed for 12 years.

National Crime Agency investigators identified Robert Pasteiner through suspicious payments totalling over £200,000 made to individuals in the Philippines, including arrested facilitators of live-streamed child sexual abuse (CSA).

The 76-year-old was arrested in February 2023 at Heathrow Airport, shortly before he was due to depart for the Philippines. Investigators analysed his mobile phone and discovered he had arranged to meet a 12-year-old girl in his hotel.

A search of his luggage found presents including perfume and jewellery, as well as condoms and Viagra – clear markers of his intentions. A large quantity of Filipino Pesos and false documents were also concealed in his suitcase.

Further searches of his home address uncovered 15 electronic devices, six of which contained indecent images of children. They also seized paperwork containing handwritten notes of who Pasteiner had been speaking to in the Philippines, including a number of child sexual abuse facilitators.

He had documented details about their family, phone numbers, emails, payment details, how much money he sent and when and what the payments were for; noting some as being for a ‘show’.

The NCA worked closely with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to identify and safeguard his victims.

In May 2026 Pasteiner pleaded guilty to 36 offences including causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, attempted sexual communication with a child, arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child and making indecent images of children.

He was sentenced today (Thursday 23 July) at Portsmouth Crown Court to 12 years in prison. He also received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offender’s Register, both for life.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Danielle Pownall said:

"Robert Pasteiner is a depraved man who posed a significant threat to children around the world.

"The items recovered during our investigation are a clear sign of his intentions in travelling to the Philippines. With thanks to International law enforcement partners in the Philippines we were able to arrest Pasteiner and safeguard victims.

"The NCA along with partners at home and abroad will continue to tirelessly hunt down perpetrators of child sexual abuse and protect the most vulnerable in our society."

Description

A former cadets leader has been jailed for non-recent sexual offences against two young girls.

Simon Taplin was sentenced to four and a half years’ imprisonment when he appeared before Portsmouth Crown Court on 3 June.

He had previously been found guilty of two counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16, on 20 February at the same court.

Taplin, 64, of Springfied Close in Lavant, was charged with five further counts of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16 and was found not guilty by the jury.

An investigation was launched in September 2020, when a third-party report came into Sussex Police that a woman had been sexually abused by Taplin as a child.

His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, met him at the cadets, with him using his position of power to abuse her.

The first incident occurred in 1996, when his victim was in her teens. Taplin continued to sexually abuse her numerous times over the next four years.

As part of the investigation, another woman bravely came forward and stated she was abused at around the same time by Taplin.

When she was a teenager, it was heard that she was abused by Taplin where he used his seniority to take advantage and sexually assault her during a cadet event.

In addition to the custodial sentence, Taplin was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Jason Berney, of the Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “I would like to express my gratitude for the bravery of the victims who came forward and gave evidence to police and in court.

“This bravery has secured Taplin’s sentence and it means a man who abused his power to take advantage of girls is now behind bars.

“I hope that any victims of sexual abuse are encouraged to come forward to report any crime or wrongdoing. We will investigate, no matter how long ago it was.”

Description

An NHS worker who travelled to Southampton to have sex with a teenage boy fainted when he was met by police, a court heard.

Robin Hains was arrested during a police sting in Shirley.

The 47-year-old had travelled along the south coast, from Bognor Regis, in the hope of abusing a 13-year-old.

According to police, he used an online messaging platform to brag about his plans to another man in March last year.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and making indecent images of children.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Colin Haynes, of SEROCU, said: “Hains travelled a significant distance expecting to carry out sexual abuse against a child.

“Upon meeting police officers instead of the child, he had travelled expecting to see for sexual activity to take place, Hains fainted, demonstrating how shocked he was to have been ‘found out’ for his offending.

“Through his professional life, he would have been aware of what constitutes an offence of this nature and will now have time in prison to reflect upon this.

“SEROCU officers continue to work tirelessly to protect children and to bring those who commit offences against them before the courts to be held accountable for their actions.”

Hains, who worked at the urology department of University Hospitals Sussex, was jailed for three years and two months.

The defendant, of St Mary’s Close, Lavant, Chichester, must register as a sex offender for ten years and has been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same time.

Anyone concerned about their thoughts or behaviour towards children or those of someone else can seek help and support via the Stop it Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900.

Further support is available from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

Victims of sexual offences or anyone who has information about them should contact police by calling the non-emergency number 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Description

Calculating predator Robin Elms, 23, of Hunston, Chichester, was sentenced to 20 years and six months at Portsmouth Crown Court after inflicting sexual assaults on nine children who were also spied on and video recorded.

The 20 offences between 2018 and 2020 were carried out on children aged two to 14 in five households after he secured employment via 'reputable' online childcare agencies.

Seven of the children, in three households, were from West Sussex and two of the children, in two households, were from east Kent.

Elms, of previous good character, had worked in other non-residential child care settings, but there was no evidence of offences against other children.

In sentencing Elms, judge Lance Ashworth said: 'You groomed the families, moving from home to home, beguiling them and making them feel sorry for you.'

Detective Constable Chris Smith of Sussex Police said: 'Elms used his access, and the trust placed in him by the parents, to systematically abuse children in their own homes.

'His offences were horrendous breaches of trust, which are every parent's greatest concern. He had no previous convictions or any other DBS-related record, and the parents all had found him through reputable child care agencies.'

The child abuser pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault, five counts of taking indecent videos of children, and four counts of voyeurism and one count of sexually assaulting an adult man - not related to his work as a nanny or babysitter.

Elms will spend 15 and a half years of the sentence in prison and five years on extended prison licence supervision.

He will be a registered sex offender for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last until further court notice.

The prosecution followed an investigation by detectives from the Complex Abuse Unit of Sussex Police which began when one of the families in West Sussex contacted police in November 2020 reporting sexual abuse.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted young children and was actively seeking opportunities to offend again has been convicted of 14 counts of child sexual abuse after a National Crime Agency investigation.

Keats Harvey, a 24-year-old American national, groomed and sexually assaulted four children, the youngest of whom was a toddler.

He was arrested by NCA officers at his home in West Wittering, Chichester, in May 2020.

Harvey had a catalogue of almost 9,000 indecent images of children and 630 prohibited images on his electronic devices, which he had collated between 2015-2020. Of those were 860 category A images (the most severe), 1,290 category B and 6,984 category C.

The NCA uncovered a large number of chat logs and emails in which he had sent and received these images from other likeminded individuals, as well as admitting to having molested three young children.

Investigators subsequently identified four children who had been abused by Harvey, all of whom were under ten-years-old and have since been safeguarded.

He met his victims through other adults he knew and assaulted one of the children whilst at a party.

Harvey made multiple further attempts to meet and abuse children by befriending vulnerable adults with kids and applying for jobs at places where we knew he would have access to children, including hospitals and nurseries.

Through their investigation into Harvey, NCA officers identified another American national they suspected had sexually abused an eleven-year-old boy.

Intelligence was shared with US authorities based in Seattle and the man, a teacher, was arrested and the child safeguarded.

Yesterday (29/07/2021) at Hove Crown Court Harvey was found guilty of six counts of possessing indecent images of children (categories A-C), two counts of possessing prohibited images, two counts of taking and one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, two counts of assaulting a child under 13 by touching, and meeting a girl under 16 following grooming.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 8 October 2021.

Peter Stevens, Branch Commander at the NCA, said: "Keats Harvey was conducting very serious offending, not just online but by physically abusing young children.

"On top of this, he was actively trying to befriend adults who had children and had researched jobs on the internet, at hospitals and nurseries, all with the aim of gaining access to children.

"In my view he is an offender whose behaviour was escalating in terms of the severity of the offending he was trying to commit.

"Prosecuting individuals like Harvey who pose a sexual risk to children is a priority for the NCA. My team worked tirelessly, with support from the Crown Prosecution Service, analysing reams of particularly disturbing material to build the case against him and ensure he would face justice.

"We also worked closely with policing partners to identify offenders and safeguard victims. In this case, Sussex and Hampshire Police provided significant support to the investigation."

Description

A man who persistently exposed himself to women in Chichester streets has been jailed following a police investigation.

Lee Matthew Davidoff, 50, unemployed and of no fixed address, was sentenced when he appeared at Brighton Crown Court on Thursday (13 February), having previously been convicted of four counts of exposure during November 2019; two in North Walls, one in North Street, and one in Crane Street, police said.

He was also sentenced for being in breach of a suspended sentence.

He was given a total of 86 weeks imprisonment and will be a registered offender for ten years, confirmed police.

Davidoff was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last for ten years, placing requirements on his clothing and behaviour in public.

He had previously been a registered sex offender for ten years and subject of an SHPO after being given a six-month suspended sentence at Norwich Crown Court in January 2019 for similar offences in Norwich.

Detective Sergeant Debbie Ricks said:

Davidoff was a persistent offender who had not taken advantage of attempts to help manage his behaviour by the police, probation and the courts.

We took prompt action and traced him when his further offensive behaviour, which caused distress and alarm to the women involved, was reported.

Description

A menacing would-be rapist from Selsey who cornered a schoolgirl in an alleyway has been jailed for seven years.

Ewing Gilmour, 21, of Sparshott Road, Selsey, approached the teenage girl in Selsey offering her 100 for sex.
When she rejected his offer he stalked her and laid in wait to intercept the youngster.

At Portsmouth Crown Court prosecutor Paul Fairley said Gilmour followed the girl, overtaking her in an alleyway between Manor Road and Manor Lane in Selsey on May 29 last year.

She said no, no, no as she realised Gilmour was about to pounce.
Gilmour, who exposed himself, then grabbed her hair when he failed to pull down her trousers.

He threatened to punch her in the face as she fought wildly to escape his clutches, falling over in the process, the court heard.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, finally escaped and ran to a nearby home.

Jailing Gilmour for seven years with an extended three-year term, judge William Ashworth said: It was a brazen and determined attempt to rape a vulnerable victim.
He added: You stalked her and cornered her and attacked her.

A sexual harm prevention order bans him from contacting children for life and he must sign the sex offenders register for life.

At trial, Gilmour claimed he had been looking over fences to steal items and that is why the girl was able to identify his underwear as his trousers fell down exposing his FCUK underwear.

Jurors convicted Gilmour of attempted rape on November 19.
The court heard he is a failed Army recruit who was medically discharged.

The Parole Board will have you consider when to release Gilmour, and only when he has served at least two thirds of the seven-year term.
The three-year extended term will be served on licence.

As he was led to the cells Gilmour turned to supporters in the public gallery and blew a kiss toward them.
Investigating officer Steve Holden said: This was an attempt at a serious sexual assault and it was due to the bravery of the victim at the time, that prevented a worse outcome.

The victim has remained strong throughout the legal process, and I would like to thank her for that.
In addition, Id like to thank all the members of the public who provided CCTV and other information at the time and during our investigation.

With their support, a dangerous offender who has shown no remorse for his actions has been identified and imprisoned.

Description

A PERVERT jailed for preying on young boys while he was a teacher in the Kidderminster area has been sentenced for further offences. Jonathan O'Brien, 61, spent more than a decade grooming young boys while he taught at Winterfold House School as well as schools in West Sussex and Oxfordshire during the 1980s and 1990s. Twisted O'Brien was already serving time for sexual offences against young boys when he was convicted for the second time last month. It took the victim more than 20 years to report the traumatic events which happened while he was a teenage student and O'Brien was a teacher at Seaford College, Petworth in West Sussex in 1992. It was revealed just a handful of years earlier O'Brien indecently assaulted male students up to 170 miles away in Worcestershire and Oxfordshire. In 2014, O'Brien was found guilty of sexually abusing pupils in his care during the 1980s - including five charges of gross indecency and 15 counts of indecent assault, all of which he had denied and he was cleared of two further indecent assaults. Twelve of the offences were committed against seven boys at Winterfold House School - where he taught subjects including sports and photography - between 1980 and 1985 and the others were committed against three pupils at The Oratory School, near Reading, between 1985 and 1989. Police Constable Yvonne Daddow said the former teacher pretended to have an interest in computers to groom the young boy, who kept the distressing experiences to himself. She said: "This offending came to light when the victim contacted us for the first time in 2017. "Having courageously come forward he supported our investigation and was ready to give evidence in court if necessary. "It became clear that O'Brien had used an allegedly mutual interest in computers to in effect gradually 'groom' the boy into sexual activity, in O'Brien's study at the school and his home in Oxfordshire. "The boy kept the distressing experiences to himself for more than 20 years until an chance family discussion to some media coverage on the general subject of sexual offending triggered him into coming forward. "This case is another example of the way in which we will always take such reports seriously, no matter how long ago they relate to, and will seek to help achieve justice for victims wherever possible." It was added that Seaford College has cooperated with the investigation by West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit and the indecent assaults are unconnected with current or recent management of the school and it's pupils. O'Brien pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on May 24. The former teacher, from Bosham, West Sussex, denied two further counts of indecent assault on the same boy, which will lay on the court file. He was handed two and-a-half years to run concurrently to a previous sentence relating to sexual assaults against boys in Kidderminster and Oxfordshire. He was sentenced to 13 years at Chichester Crown Court in 2014 for the vile attacks which happened between 1980 and 1989. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and handed a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) which severely restricts his contact with any children.