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A former East Sussex high school teacher has been jailed for raping and sexually assaulting a pupil at his school.

In 2021, Sussex Police received intelligence that Steven Hardie, a former teacher at Bexhill High School had groomed and sexually abused pupils while working at the school.

Hardie, 65, of Woodsgate Park in Bexhill, was a science teacher at the school – now called Mulberry Academy Bexhill – between 1991 and 2007, when he was dismissed after receiving a police caution for grooming a female pupil. This conviction relates to a different victim.

Following the receipt of intelligence in 2021, police seized Hardie's electronic devices and found sexual messages between himself and a pupil at the school during his tenure.

Now a woman in her 30s, the victim was contacted by police and disclosed sexual abuse by Hardie starting when she was 15 years old, and reported being raped by him on two occasions after she had left the school.

Hardie was arrested and charged with two counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault and three counts of indecency with a child.

Following a trial at Lewes Crown Court concluding on Tuesday, 25 Augus, Hardie was found guilty of all but one count of indecency with a child.

At Brighton Crown Court on Monday, 26 October, Hardie was jailed for nine years and nine months, given a restraining order against his victims and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Rebecca Wilde said:

"The impacts of Hardie's crimes will last a lifetime, which makes the strength and courage shown by the victim all the more remarkable.

"I would once again like to thank her for trusting us with her report and supporting this investigation. Without her, Hardie would not have been brought to justice.

"My thanks also extend to the school, who have fully supported this investigation.

"If you are a victim of sexual offending, no matter how long ago, please report it to us. We will support you, and we will do everything we can to get you the justice you deserve."

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Eastbourne man Richard Bennett, 46, has been jailed for 18 years for rape, assault and abusive offences against a woman known to him.

On 5 February the victim reported that Bennett, of Lower Willingdon, had become increasingly controlling, lying about being a police informant to keep the victim in fear and preventing her from seeking help and support.

She reported that at times he would strangle her, assault her and threatened to kill her. She reported that she was subject to years of sexual abuse.

She was petrified of him but built up the courage to flee from him.

After the report to police the victim was safeguarded and given support by specialist officers.

Bennett handed himself in on 11 February and on 12 February he was charged with rape, assault causing actual bodily harm, coercive controlling behaviour and strangulation and was remanded into custody.

On 11 August at Lewes Crown Court, he was convicted after being found guilty of rape, assault causing actual bodily harm, coercive controlling behaviour and strangulation.

On 18 September, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Detective Constable Marc Thomas said:

The victim had suffered years of abuse at the hands of Bennett, who impacted every part of her life, isolating her and forcing her to stay indoors as his behaviour became more threatening.

She has been strong in supporting this investigation and it thanks to her that Bennett is now behind bars.

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A 21-year-old Newhaven man has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for multiple child sex offences.

At Lewes Crown Court on Monday (17 August), Samuel Carragher, of Acacia Road, pleaded guilty to 33 counts .

They included causing or inciting a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity, causing or inciting a child to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, paying for sexual services of a child, sexual communication with a child, threaten to share a photograph or film of a person in an intimate state, threatening to share intimate photographs or film, causing a child to watch a sexual act, sending a photograph or film of genitals, distributing indecent photographs of a child and making indecent photographs of children.

Carragher’s crimes took place between 2022 and 2025 and involved 14 girls aged between 12 and 15.

An investigation was launched in June 2025, after Sussex Police were alerted to suspicious online activity. He was arrested on 26 June 2025, and a number of devices were seized from his address.

These revealed a myriad of online child sexual exploitation against numerous young girls around the country.  Many of the offences involved instructing and inciting the children to engage in sexual acts, and offering payment for the images.  Carragher then distributed these images to other children and to other adult men.

Carragher was sentenced to 10 years and six months in custody, plus a three-year extended licence period.

Detective Constable Ana Wellfare, from the Online Child Abuse Team, said:

“Carragher’s actions were appalling and involved a large number of children. The impact his behaviour had on his young victims cannot be underestimated.

“Such crimes cause lasting harm and have no place in our society.

“Carragher will now spend a significant period behind bars, where he can no longer pose any threat to children or the wider public.

“We take all reports of abuse extremely seriously. If you believe you may be a victim, or know someone who might be, please come forward. We will listen, and we will support you.”

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A man who groomed a teenage girl and raped her has been jailed for 19 years.

George Scott, 39, pressured the victim for non-recent sexual activity in East Sussex.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has described how the abuse has had a “devastating and lifelong impact”.

Scott, of Beacon Road, Crowborough, was found guilty of 11 offences after trial, and appeared before Lewes Crown Court on 31 July.

He was sentenced to 19 years in prison, and must serve an extra two years on licence when released as part of an extended sentence.

It means he must serve at least two thirds of the sentence before he can be considered for parole, and could still be recalled to prison to serve the remainder of the sentence for an extra two years.

The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 25 years, which will restrict Scott’s unsupervised contact with children and access to computers or mobile phones without permission.

He was put on the sex offenders register indefinitely, and the court also imposed a restraining order not to contact the victim which will last until a further order is made.

The court was told how the non-recent offences related to Scott’s activities as a golf instructor. He groomed the victim, a girl under the age of 16, to commit sexual offences.

These included eight counts of sexual assault by penetration, one count of intentionally causing a girl under 16 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, one count of causing a girl under 16 to watch a third person engaging in sexual activity, and one count of being an adult in a position of trust who sexually touched a girl under the age of 18 on multiple occasions.

In her victim impact statement, the victim, who has a right to legal anonymity for life, said:

“I continue to fight everyday against the memories I wish I could forget.

“This has had a devastating and lifelong impact. I have lived with the consequences with flashbacks and intrusive memories. I often felt blamed and shamed for something that was never my fault.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Mors Lambert said:

“I commend the courage of the victim for coming forward and reporting her experience to Sussex Police in this highly distressing case.

“It is clear that Scott groomed the victim and abused her in the most appalling way. She should have been able to trust him in his role, but he abused that trust by committing sexual offences over a two-year period.

“This was a complex investigation and we take reports of rape and serious sexual assaults extremely seriously. We were determined to get justice for the victim in this case.

“Scott is now serving a significant custodial sentence which reflects the severity of his offences as well as the profound impact it has had upon the victim.

“I would continue to encourage all victims of sexual offences to report their experiences to the police.”

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A Crowborough man who advertised himself on a childcare website and sexually abused a young girl has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Andrew Evans, 40, is already serving more than 14 years for sexually abusing four children linked to two investigations in 2022. The latest sentence will run consecutively.

The court heard that in March, 2022, Evans advertised himself as a childminder on a childcare website and was contacted by a woman who hired him to stay overnight at her home and look after her two small children.

At that time Evans was on police bail while being investigated for a separate matter with conditions which included having no unsupervised contact with children.

On 20 March, 2022, he was seen in public with the children by a person who knew of his bail conditions and reported him to police.

He was arrested the next day, and subsequent checks of his mobile phone revealed indecent images of the seven-year-old girl he had been hired to care for. The victim later disclosed she had been sexually abused by Evans.

She and her family were supported by specialist officers while Evans remained in custody.

He was charged with two counts of assault by penetration of a girl under 13 and causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, without penetration.

At Lewes Crown Court on Friday, 10 July, 2026 Evans pleaded guilty to both charges.

Today (Thursday, 13 August), Evans was given a further prison term:

• Count 1 – five  years imprisonment plus one year extended licence. This is to run consecutive to his current 14yrs four months sentence which had a five year extended licence.
• Count 2 – 40 months to run concurrently.

Evans has also been issued with a restraining order, to have no contact with the victim or her family.

The father of the victim told the court:

“The hardest part is knowing that my daughter has to live with what he did to her.

As her father, I wish I could take her pain upon myself.  I cannot describe how deeply it hurts to know that I cannot change what happened or erase those memories for her.

“There is no question the man who committed these offences has not only harmed my daughter, he has changed me as a person.  I feel anger unlike anything I have ever known. It is an anger that comes from knowing that someone deliberately preyed on my little girl who should have been safe.

“Alongside that anger is heartbreak. I cannot stop thinking about what my daughter went through whilst under his care. 

The effect of his offences did not end when the abuse stopped. They continue every single day for my daughter, and they continue every single day for those of us who love her.

“This man’s actions have left permanent scars on my daughter.  They have also left lasting scars on me.  I believe I will carry the weight of his crimes for the rest of my life.”

Detective Constable Rebecca Wilde said:

“Andrew Evans is a prolific child abuser who deliberately placed himself in childcare settings in order to groom and exploit young children.

“We acted swiftly as soon as we became aware Evans had breached his bail conditions to ensure he posed no further risk to the public.

“Evans is safely behind bars and, thanks to the bravery of his victims, will no longer have access to children.

“This type of offending causes lasting damage not only to the direct victims, but also to families and communities, and it will not be tolerated.

“If you are a victim of sexual offending or have concerns about someone else, please report to us online or via 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.”

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A private hire driver from Hastings has been sentenced for multiple sexual offences following two trials.

Abdulhamid Alammar, 34, of the Baldslow area of St Leonards-on-Sea, appeared at Brighton Crown Court on 5 May, where he was sentenced to a total of three years’ imprisonment. He was also made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Alammar was convicted of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity following a trial at Lewes Crown Court. The offences took place in Hastings in late 2024.

The court heard that on the evening of 29 November 2024, a woman in her 30s had booked a car home from a friend’s address. She was collected by Alammar, who instead of driving her to her requested destination, drove her to a secluded location, where he sexually assaulted her.

The offences came to light when officers were investigating a separate sexual assault reported in April 2025 by another woman in Hastings.

Once the November incident was disclosed to police, the victim was supported by specially trained officers and an investigation was launched.

Alammar was arrested and charged in relation to the November incident. At the time, he was already remanded in custody in connection with the April 2025 allegations.

He had previously been convicted following a trial in October 2025 of sexual assault in relation to the April offences and acquitted of rape and sexual assault by penetration.

Following the conclusion of both cases, he was sentenced in relation to all matters at Brighton Crown Court on 5 May.

Detective Constable Christina Bales, of the Hastings Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said:

“These were serious and predatory offences committed against women who should have felt safe. I would like to commend the victims for their courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.

“Tackling violence against women and girls remains a priority for Sussex Police. We are committed to proactively identifying and relentlessly pursuing offenders, while working closely with partners to safeguard victims and prevent harm. Everyone has the right to feel safe, whether at home or in public, and we will continue to take robust action against those who commit these offences.

“We remain committed to ensuring victims of sexual offences receive support and that offenders are brought before the courts.”

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A Hove man has been jailed after admitting sexually assaulting multiple women in public spaces.

Fattah Derrahi, 59, a British national of Farm Road in Hove, was charged with 11 counts of sexual assault against 11 women over a four-year period 

Between September, 2021, and October, 2025, Derrahi primarily targeted women who were exercising or post-exercise, often engaging them in conversation by complimenting their ‘energy’.

Derrahi would engineer physical situations including helping the women stretch, dance or conduct breathing exercises, before sexually assaulting them.

Many of the sexual assaults took place along the seafront, particularly around the Hove Lawns area.

Derrahi was arrested in November, 2025, subsequently charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and remanded in custody.

Appearing at a pre-trial preparatory hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, 15 December, Derrahi admitted nine charges. He later admitted a further two charges relating to incidents in 2021.

At the same court on Friday (27 March), he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Detective Inspector Jenny Pietersen said:

“Brighton and Hove is a safer place now that Fattah Derrahi has been brought to justice.

“I want to extend my gratitude to the brave women who came forward and reported Mr Derrahi for his heinous behaviour. Today we received justice for those involved and all women using open spaces in our communities. 

“We remain committed to improving our service to women and girls in Sussex, working with our partners to prevent crime in the first place, provide support to victims and catch perpetrators.”

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After a young victim bravely spoke out about the long term sexual abuse he had suffered at the hands of a man, that man has now been jailed.

Police arrested 44-year-old David Newsom, of Regency Close, Uckfield on 18 November, 2025 in relation to serious sexual offences committed against a boy between 2017 and 2025.

The victim was only around 10-years-old when the abuse began.

Charges were authorised the day after Newsom’s arrest, and he appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court where he was remanded in custody.

At a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on 7 January, Newsom pleaded guilty to eight offences. Rape, four counts of sexual assault against a child under 13, and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Newsom was remanded back into custody ahead of his sentencing.

On March 23 at Brighton Crown Court, Newsom was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Nandi Luthuli, said:

"Without the victim’s courage in speaking out about the sexual abuse he endured, this could have continued unchecked.

"The final offence took place just one month before Newsom’s arrest, bringing an end to around nine years of sexual abuse.

"Let there be no doubt. Anyone abusing children will be investigated and held accountable.

"And to victims, we will listen to you. There is no shame in speaking out, and you should never feel you have to suffer in silence.

"The abuse cannot be undone, but this chapter is now closed. We hope the victim can now move forward and begin to heal."

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A man has been jailed after he was found guilty of two counts of rape in Sussex.

Carlo Di Tella, 46, stood trial accused of the rapes on a woman known to him in St Leonards.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, received support from specialist officers.

She has been praised for her bravery and courage during the trial process at Lewes Crown Court.

The court was told how Di Tella had targeted the woman while she slept.

The offences happened in January 2023, and the victim reported her experience to the police.

At Lewes Crown Court on 16 January, Di Tella, of Bohemia Road, St Leonards, was sentenced to six years in prison for each count of rape, to run concurrently.

The court also imposed a ten-year restraining order on Di Tella and he has been placed on the sex offenders register.

In a statement, the victim said she has lived with the fear of seeing Di Tella in the community, and said the rapes have had a “devastating” impact on her life.

She described the “emotional rollercoaster” of the case, and said: “I will live with this ordeal for the rest of my life.”

Investigating officer PC Sally Smith said:

“This was a complex investigation and we were determined to get justice for the victim who was extremely brave and courageous when she reported the rape almost three years ago.

“She continued to support the investigation through the trial process. It shows we take reports of rape extremely seriously, and we encourage victims of rape and serious sexual offences to report their experience to the police.”

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A Crowborough man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of multiple serious child sexual offences.

The offences include producing and possessing child abuse material, inciting a child under thirteen to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

Ray Lombard, 46, of Croft Road in Crowborough, was identified by police after accessing child abuse images online. Investigators found he had livestreamed child abuse, arranged acts of child sexual abuse at his request, paid perpetrators, and discussed paedophilia and online child exploitation.

During the investigation, Lombard was found in possession of extreme pornographic images and more than 5,000 child abuse images classified as categories A and B stored on multiple devices seized from Lombard. He established online connections with other distributors of child abuse material and targeted vulnerable women, while investigators also found screen recordings documenting live streamed sexual abuse of children.

He admitted to paying a vulnerable woman in Ukraine to produce child sexual abuse material involving her daughter under the age of five.

Lombard was arrested on 19 March 2024 and charged at Eastbourne Custody Centre on 12 March 2025 with three counts of making indecent images of children, eight counts of arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, causing to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, including penetration, and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He appeared at Lewes crown court on the 31 October 2025, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.

On Thursday (15 January 2026), at Lewes Crown Court, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison. The administration of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order will be considered at a future date, and the court ordered the destruction of all his devices.

Detective Sergeant David Rose, from the Online Child Abuse Team, said:

“Lombard’s behaviour was abhorrent and demonstrates the very real dangers posed online by individuals who deliberately seek to groom and sexually exploit children.

“These crimes represent a profound abuse of trust and a complete disregard for the safety, dignity and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable members of society.

“His devices contained moving images recording the sexual abuse of young children. These children, wherever they are in the world, live with the trauma of the abuse they have suffered.

“Offending of this nature causes lasting damage not only to the direct victims, but also to families and communities, and it will not be tolerated.

“The Online Child Abuse Team continues to work tirelessly with our partners to identify and apprehend offenders, disrupt this type of criminal activity, and educate parents and carers on the steps they can take to help keep children safe online.”

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A Heathfield man found with thousands of illicit pictures has become one of the first in the county to be sentenced for creating AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

James Castell, 40, of High Street in Heathfield, came to the attention of Sussex Police in October, 2024, when he was linked to the online distribution of an indecent image of a child. The image appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Shortly after, Castell was arrested by officers from the force’s Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT), who searched his home and seized a number of digital devices.

The devices were found to contain over 3,800 indecent images of children, including  640 of the most serious, Category A images. Indecent images in Category A depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality and/or sadism.

The date range of the images stretched as far back as 2016.

AI software was also found that uses text to generate images, alongside evidence that Castell was responsible for distributing the initial AI indecent image and searches online that indicated a sexual interest in children.

Castell was subsequently charged with three counts of possession of an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child and distributing an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child.

He appeared at Hastings Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 8 October, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.

At Lewes Crown Court on Friday (19 December), he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly controlling his use of digital devices and access to children. He will also be a registered sex offender for ten years, and order to complete rehabilitation activity and 240 hours of community work.

Detective Chief Inspector Luke Kyriakides-Yeldham said:

“Every child sex abuse image created or shared fuels this despicable industry, and James Castell has shown absolutely no regard for children’s safety in pursuit of his own gratification.

“The scale of his offending, and wider online activity, shows an offender with a committed sexual interest in children as young as three years old.

“Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving technology, and cases such as this show criminals will use AI for their own ends.

“Make no mistake, the use of AI to create indecent images of children is an offence. We are working hard with our partners to identify those creating and distributing these images, and we will take robust action against perpetrators.”

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A Newhaven man who posed as a teenage girl on social media to groom several young girls has been jailed.

Mikey Winchester, 25, of Gibbon Road in Newhaven, targeted three girls – two aged ten, one aged 13 – on Snapchat and Instagram in 2022 and 2023.

Sussex Police first became aware of Winchester’s offending from another police force in May, 2023. The force had received reports from two ten-year-old girls who had been approached by a Snapchat user using the name ‘avadunn2.0’.

The account known as ‘Ava’ was in fact Winchester pretending to be a 13-year-old girl.

Winchester sent both victims explicit images, before asking them to send explicit images of themselves in return. Both victims had clearly stated they were young children in the chat with Winchester.

The messages were discovered on both children’s phones and the Snapchat account was traced to Winchester’s home address in Newhaven.

Officers visited his home on 18 May, 2023, arrested him and seized a number of digital devices.

In August, 2023, another police force transferred an investigation to Sussex Police of a 13-year-old girl having been groomed on Instagram by an account named ‘dumbphoebelol’.

This was again Winchester posing as a teenage girl to send explicit images and manipulate the victim into sending him explicit images.

Both social media accounts were linked to Winchester’s devices, as well as 69 child sex abuse images and four images of extreme animal pornography.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of sexual communication with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child (with and without penetration), three counts of making indecent images of a child (Cat A, B and C), and four counts of possession of extreme pornography.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (17 December), he pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for four years, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Detective Constable Gary Baker said: “Mikey Winchester is a calculating, predatory offender who posed as a child to manipulate young children in the most appalling way.

“I would like to thank the victims and their families for raising the alarm as soon as Winchester’s offending was discovered, as well as our partner forces for supporting our investigation.

“Winchester’s offending is another unwelcome reminder of the dangers posed to children online. We will continue to work with our partners and other forces to identify and apprehend offenders, while educating families on steps they can take to keep their children safe online.”

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A predator posed as a teenage boy to pressure young girls for explicit sexual images.

Kevin Wyeth used an account on a mobile phone to bully the girls, including making threats to locate them and rape them.

The 39-year-old caused the girls to engage in sexual activity in group chat messages.

Officers located him at a flat in Eastbourne, where a mobile phone was seized and examined.

Wyeth preyed on the fears of four victims to obtain indecent images and videos, which he stored on a mobile device.

The girls, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, have been provided with support from specially-trained officers.

One victim said: “He made me feel like I could not talk to anybody.”

Wyeth, formerly of Eastbourne but of no fixed address, was charged with 35 offences, and appeared for sentencing at Lewes Crown Court on Friday, 2 May.

The court imposed a 20-year sentence, which includes 15 years in prison, and an additional five years on licence as part of an extended sentence.

Wyeth was previously remanded in custody after a hearing before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on October 12 last year.

The offences were seven counts of distributing indecent images, ten counts of making indecent images, five counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, three counts of inciting girls under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity which includes one count of penetrative sexual activity, two counts of disclosing or threatening to disclose a private sexual photograph or film with intent to cause distress, and three counts of malicious communications.

Wyeth was previously jailed in 2018 and 2020 for similar offences of making indecent images and of engaging in sexual communications with a child, and was also jailed in 2023 for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that officers visited his flat in March 2023, and he refused to provide a PIN access to a mobile phone.

Following an investigation by the Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT), further offences involving four victims were identified.

The victims were all under the age of 13 a the time, and have all suffered ongoing fear and trauma as a result of Wyeth.

Parents described how Wyeth’s crimes had caused their daughters to have changed behaviour.

One parent described Wyeth as a “prolific child predator” and said he has caused “lasting emotional scars”.

“The trust we had in the online world has been shattered,” a parent said.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Gary Baker, from the OCAT team, said: “Wyeth preyed on the fears of the girls to commit his crimes.

“He has repeatedly committed similar offences, breached Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, and is a danger to children.

“His crimes have caused lasting harm to the victims, who all require ongoing support.

“We remain determined to catch offenders like Wyeth and to secure justice for victims who have been abused.

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A Hove man whose jobs gave him repeated access to children has been convicted of dozens of child sex offences.

Ian Silvester, 60, of Locks Hill in Portslade, worked as a Scout leader, childrens nurse, St Johns Ambulance worker, diving instructor, first aid trainer and babysitter over several decades.

He was also a registered nurse and registered childrens nurse, before being struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2015.

Over a period of 25 years between 1986 and 2011 Silvester sexually assaulted 19 boys linked to several of his roles of trust, including the Scouts and his various businesses.

Many of the assaults took place under the guise of first aid training, during which Silvester would sexually touch his victims.

Following Silvesters arrest, digital devices were found containing more than two million media articles suggesting a sexual interest in young boys, including 68 indecent images of children.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty of 44 counts of indecent assault, 25 counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 13 and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (20 November), he was found guilty of all charges.

He has been remanded in custody to await sentencing at the same court on 7 February, 2025.

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A "predatory" former Church of England vicar faces spending the rest of his life behind bars after he was sentenced for a third time for child sex offences.

Ifor Whittaker, 80, previously admitted rape and gross indecency of a young boy in the vestry of St John The Baptist Church in Sedlescombe, East Sussex, in the 1990s, where he served as a priest at the time under the name Colin Pritchard.

Whittaker was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of eight years, at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday 19 November.

He is already serving a 16-year-sentence for abusing a boy between 1987 and 1991 following a trial in 2018, and had previously been jailed for five years in 2008 for the abuse of two children in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, between 1979 to 1983.

The court previously heard that Whittaker had baptised the boy whom he later went on to abuse in the incident at the church.

Prosecutor Beverly Cripps previously told the court that the victim described to police being terrified during the attack and that he tried to bury the memories of what happened to him there but "it had come back to him in pieces over the years".

Sentencing him to a discretionary life sentence on Tuesday, Judge Gary Lucie said: "You are a predatory paedophile and have been for many years.

"I doubt that you will ever cease to be a serious danger to young boys but that risk cannot be reliably estimated at this time.

"In my judgment, the combination of offences is so serious that only custody can be justified, and for the reasons that I have already given the appropriate sentence in this case, on count 1, is a sentence of life imprisonment."

Judge Lucie told Whittaker: "You have been responsible for committing serious sexual offences against four young boys over a long period whilst abusing your position as a trusted member of the community as a vicar.

"This offending is of the most serious kind."

In a statement, the Diocese of Chichester, said: "The sentence passed today on Ifor Whittaker, formerly the Reverend Colin Pritchard, reflects the terrible nature of his crimes.

"The victim in this case has shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to report Whittaker’s crimes. We apologise unreservedly to him for the appalling abuse he suffered.

"We wish to acknowledge the excellent work of Sussex Police in this case. Our Safeguarding Team have been working closely with their detectives on this matter since it was reported.

"Mr Whittaker was convicted of child sexual offences in 2008, receiving a five-year prison sentence. He was sentenced again in 2018, again for child sexual offences, receiving a 16-year sentence. He is still serving that sentence in custody.

"Mr Whittaker’s offending, and the history of the Diocese of Chichester’s dealings with him, has been covered in numerous published reports including the Case Study for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

"That history makes clear that there were a number of serious safeguarding errors made prior to his 2008 conviction, for which this Diocese has offered unreserved apologies and from which we continue to draw lessons for our current safeguarding practice.

"This case should remind us of the vital importance of prioritising the safety of children above any other consideration, listening to survivors of abuse, and ensuring that every concern is reported to the statutory authorities without delay."

The Diocese of Chichester referred Mr Whittaker to the Disclosure and Barring Service following his conviction in 2008. He was also barred for life from ordained ministry in the Church of England.