Latest Offenders Portsmouth

Description

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.”

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A Portsmouth man has been jailed for 13 years after being convicted of raping a child.

Paul Deacon, 67, was found guilty following a trial of a string of non-recent sexual offences against a young girl between the ages of 8 and 15. Some of the offences dated back to more than 20 years ago.

Deacon denied one count of rape, five counts of indecent assault, one count of gross indecency and one count of inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

Following a trial this month at Portsmouth Crown Court, Deacon was convicted on all charges.

He was sentenced at the same court yesterday (25 August), when he was jailed for 13 years.

Speaking after the case Detective Constable Graham Skull, of Hampshire Constabulary’s specialist Operation Amberstone team, said: "Paul Deacon is a sexual predator who forced himself on an innocent young girl on multiple occasions.

"I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and courage in coming to us to report her ordeal and help secure the guilty verdict against this despicable man.

"I hope she finds some comfort in knowing the man who attacked her will now be behind bars for many years.

"This sentence shows our commitment to bringing sexual offenders like Deacon to justice. I hope results like this continue to encourage victims to come forward and report crimes to us."

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A RAPIST who abused a woman and kept sick recordings of the assault on his phone has been jailed for more than a decade. Sick Stuart Lionel Cosgrave, of Fyning Street, Landport, in Portsmouth carried out his sick attack on a woman in 2018. The 48-year-old targeted a woman, who was known to Cosgrave. The victim had initially reported Cosgrave to police for other offences which included burglary and harassment. Cosgrave was arrested at the time and two mobile phones were seized from him. However, when detectives examined the phones they found a number of videos on them that showed what appeared to be a series of sexual assaults. Identification enquiries were carried out by officers and confirmation provided by the victim that she was the person in the footage. Cosgrave was subsequently charged with the offences assaulting a female 13 and over by penetration with part of body/a thing and the rape of a woman 16 years of age and over. He pleaded guilty to both accounts and has now been jailed for 10-and-a-half years, with an additional five-year license period. In a joint statement Detective Constable Vicki Bousfield and Detective Sergeant Beth Marshall, who led the investigation, praised the victim for coming forward. Without her courage we would not have secured this conviction and sentence today, they said. We hope that this result has provided her with some element of closure, knowing that Cosgrave will now serve a long time in prison as a result of his actions. The detectives added: We hope that this sentence also sends a message to anyone who has been the victim of sexual assault and rape that you can report it to us and we will take it seriously, no matter how much time has passed. We take allegations of sexual offences incredibly seriously, and do everything in our power to support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. We also work closely with a number of support agencies who provide specialist help to those who need it.

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Samuel Belstone, 29, of Copnor Road, was sentenced in Portsmouth Crown Court today (May 9), after being found guilty to two counts of rape following the incident last year.

The court heard that in the early hours of Saturday, October 9, following a night out in the city centre, the victim, now 23, had been raped by a man she didnt know in an outdoor area she was not familiar with.

This was reported to police at 8.30am on the same morning and an investigation was launched by specialist officers.

Following CCTV enquiries and forensic analysis, Belstone was arrested and charged with two counts of rape.

Detective Sergeant Claire Ratcliffe, of Hampshire Constabularys specialist rape unit operation amberstone, said: First and foremost, we would like to commend the bravery and courage of the victim in this case. We know how incredibly difficult it can be to report crimes of this nature and this has understandably been a traumatic time for the lady involved, who has been supported by specialist officers at every stage of the investigation.

I hope that todays sentence will give her some closure and help her to begin moving forward in her life.

Portsmouth Superintendent and District Commander Clare Jenkins added: We have been upping our patrols at key times around our bars and clubs, as well as working with licensed premises within the city around how they safeguard their customers, with all venues having been offered welfare and vulnerability training. This is so that staff are able to identify potentially vulnerable people and how to properly safeguard them.

The training encourages premises to adopt safe areas and encourage the use of welfare officers, as well as ensuring that people feel they can easily report an incident to staff.

If youve been a victim, please report rape or sexual assault as soon as possible. Even if youre not 100 per cent sure, wed sooner hear from you so that we can make sure youre safe.

You can find out more about the support available to victims of sexual offences here at 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 DISGUSTING pervert who exposed himself to a female jogger at a popular beauty spot is facing jail for his grubby antics after a successful campaign to hunt him down. Sexual deviant Leslie Croucher, 53, exposed himself to the shocked woman at Southsea Rock Gardens on April 4 sparking a frantic search to locate the seedy criminal. Croucher, of Baythorn Close, Buckland, was subsequently located a day after the police appeal later in the month but denied any wrongdoing with a trial date listed. However, at the start of his trial at Portsmouth Crown Court today Croucher admitted a charge of exposure representing a triumph for the police and the female who was subjected to the ordeal. The court heard how Croucher had rubbed his hand up and down during the exposure that left the jogger shocked on a sunny Sunday morning. No contact was made with the woman, who was not injured during the incident, police previously said. The incident sparked the woman to post on Facebook about her ordeal in order to warn others, sparking concern in the community. Hugh French, defending, said: It happened in an open area where families often go and walk. It was aimed at (the victim). Crouchers failure to admit the offence meant the woman had to attend court as a witness before she was no longer needed after the guilty plea was entered. Judge, Recorder Adam Feest QC, thanked the victim for her help to bring Croucher, who has a previous flashing conviction to his name, before the court. Croucher will now be placed on the sex offenders register ahead of his sentence on March 10 to allow probation to complete a pre-sentence report on him. Recorder Feest told Croucher: I will look at all options (including jail) and make no promises with the sentence. My priority concern is to protect the public. Because of your plea you have to sign the sex offenders register. If you fail to do so it is a separate offence. How long you are on the register depends on the sentence. The victim, speaking after Crouchers court appearance, said: I just want to put it behind me now. Police, in their appeal to find Croucher, said last April: At 10am, a man indecently exposed himself to a woman jogging past Southsea Rock Gardens. No contact was made with the woman and she wasnt hurt. Officers have followed a number of lines of enquiry and are now turning to the public for help. Croucher will now be sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court next month. He was granted unconditional bail.

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A Portsmouth man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for a number of non-recent child sex offences spanning several decades.

Anthony Plummer, 71, of Clydebank Road, Portsmouth, appeared before Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday (14 January) following a trial at the same court in November.

On Friday 3 December 2021 a jury found Plummer guilty of:

- Two counts of rape

- Two counts of attempted rape

- Two counts of causing/inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity

- Three counts of assault by penetration

- Two counts of sexual assault

- Two counts of indecent assault.

During the trial, the court heard how Plummer abused four girls aged between 9 and 16 across several years, with his first offence taking place in 1978 and the final reported offence taking place in 2009.

In 2019 one of Plummer's victims contacted police, prompting three further victims to do the same and a thorough investigation followed which lead to Plummer being arrested and charged.

Plummer pleaded not guilty to all offences, but was found guilty by a jury and has now been sentenced to 28 years in prison with a two year license extension following this.

Sentencing, Judge David Melville QC said that no-body could fail to be moved by the impact statements of the victims, which were bravely read out in court.

He added that Plummer was a dangerous person and a predator.

DC Graham Skull, who led the investigation, said: "The victims in this case have been remarkably brave in coming forward to report these crimes and giving evidence in court about such a traumatic period of their young lives.

"They have had to live with the memory and effects of Plummer's abuse for decades and the impact of that on their lives is almost inconceivable for those of us who have never experienced such abuse. I would like to commend them on their remarkable bravery and courage today, without which we would not have secured this result. We are pleased that the victims have now finally found justice having suffered the effects of this terrible abuse for decades.

"I hope that this sentence today shows that we will treat all reports of this nature with the utmost seriousness and investigate thoroughly, no matter when they occurred. I would like to appeal to anyone who has been affected by abuse of this type to come forward and talk to us, and be reassured that you don't have to suffer in silence."

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Officers investigating a sexual assault on London Road on Thursday evening (28 October) have charged a man.

Christopher Michael Spybey, 43, of no fixed abode, has been charged with sexual assault on a female and two counts of possession of a knife.

The charge comes after it was reported to us that between 7.30pm and 8.30pm on Thursday 28 October a man had approached a woman on London Road and sexually assaulted her. He also had a knife in his possession.

Spybey has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court tomorrow (Monday 1 November.)

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Officers investigating the rape of a 22-year-old woman in Portsmouth have charged a man.

Samuel Belstone, 29, of Copnor Road, Portsmouth, has been charged with two counts of rape and possession of a controlled Class B drug.

He was remanded into custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court today (Thursday 14 October).

This charge is in relation to an incident which happened in Portsmouth between 3am and 6am on Saturday 9 October.

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A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting two women at a party.

The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday 23 August last year, when 54-year-old Bryan Searle attended the get together at an address in the Portsmouth area.

Searle, who was drunk at the time, got into a hot tub at the party and sexually assaulted two women.

The incident was reported to police later that morning and Searle was arrested the same day.

Following an investigation, he was charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.

He admitted all three offences when he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on 17 September this year.

Appearing at the same court today (Friday 1 October), he was jailed for 25 and a half months.

DC Hannah Mosely said: "No one has the right to abuse another person, and as a police service we take all allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously.

"This kind of behaviour is simply not acceptable and there is no excuse for perpetrating it.

"Searle knew this, but chose to carry out these assaults anyway. I hope the outcome of this case sends a message to those who think they can get away with behaving in this manner that there is no place for it in society, and we will take action."