Search results for Worthing

Description

Worthing man Mark Holden has been jailed for 12 years for multiple rapes and abusive offences against a woman spanning several years.

In August 2021, Sussex Police received a report from a woman in her 20s that Holden had raped her repeatedly over a five-year period, whilst using financial control and intimidation to control her behaviour.

She said Holden forced her to complete sex acts in return for money or food. 

The 28-year-old of New Road, Durrington, also forced the victim into having sex with one of his male friends.

After Holden’s offending was reported to Sussex Police, the victim was safeguarded and given support by specialist officers.

When Holden was arrested officers found digital devices in his property which contained 55 prohibited images of children.

On May 22 at Hove Crown Court, he was convicted of five charges of rape, and further charges of controlling or coercive behaviour, sexual assault and assault by penetration. Holden admitted possession of 55 prohibited images of children. Two further rape charges remain on file.

At the same court on Friday, 11 September, Holden was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was also given an indefinite length restraining order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Owen Watkins said:

“Mark Holden subjected the victim in this investigation to years of abuse.

“I know how much resolve it takes for victims to support investigations such as these through to conclusion.

“Thanks to her strength, a man who once tried to control so much of her life has been brought to justice and is now safely behind bars where he cannot harm any more women.

“If you are a victim of sexual offending or abuse, please report it to Sussex Police online or via 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency. We will support you and do all we can to get you the justice you deserve.”

Description

A registered sex offender who continued to access sexual abuse images of children has been jailed.

Peter Howard, 36, was subject to a suspended prison sentence imposed for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

But as part of monitoring by Sussex Police’s VISOR team, he was found to be in possession of an internet enabled device which was a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Howard had also used X.com to search for and to view indecent images of children.

This included seeing content which depicted category A, B and C images of sexual abuse on the platform.

At interview, Howard claimed he was searching for sexual images of children, but then accepted he had viewed the sexual abuse images.

He has previous convictions, including serving a prison sentence in 2021 of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

At Lewes Crown Court on 12 August, Howard, of Wallace Avenue, Worthing, admitted breaching a suspended sentence, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and three counts of making or distributing indecent images of children. He was jailed for two years and two months.

The court was told how Howard was made the subject of a suspended sentence for attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and was subject to ongoing monitoring.

Detective Inspector Debbie Ricks said:

“Our officers carry out regular monitoring of the activities of registered sex offenders to ensure they are complying with their requirements.

“It can include registered offenders ensuring they notify police of devices, such as mobile phones, they are in possession on.

“This case demonstrates that we will take action against those who are in breach of court orders designed to protect the public from further harm.

“Howard failed to comply with these court orders, and he is now serving a custodial sentence.”

Description

A man who groomed young girls via social media to sexually abuse them in West Sussex has been jailed.

Tarek Miah used online platforms to make contact with the girls, who cannot be identified for legal reasons and have a legal right to anonymity.

The 20-year-old admitted four counts of rape on one victim, aged under 13, between 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile he pretended to be a teenage boy in order to incite a second girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity between 2024 to 2025.

He also met two girls in a public car park in Midhurst in February this year, where he then locked them in and drove away as they raised concerns to their friends.

At Portsmouth Crown Court on 24 June he appeared for sentencing, and was jailed for 15 years.

He will serve a minimum of ten years in prison before he can be considered for parole, and will serve an extended sentence which includes three additional years on the period he can be recalled to prison if he is released.

Miah, formerly of an address in Littlehampton Road, Salvington, admitted four counts of rape of a girl under the age of 13 in between 2023 and 2024.

He admitted two counts of false imprisonment, one count of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity, one count of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, causing a child under the age of 13 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of making an indecent image of a child.

The court made him a registered sex offender until further order, and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his access to computer and mobile phone devices and access to children.

Detective Constable Peter Parkinson said:

“Tarek Miah is a dangerous offender who deliberately targeted young girls.

“We are very pleased with the sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and hope this outcome brings some measure of closure to the victims and their families.

“I would also like to commend the children who came forward and showed immense courage in standing up to their abuser. Their bravery has ensured that Tarek Miah is serving a significant custodial sentence and has prevented him from harming other children.”

Description

A man has been sentenced for the rape of a woman in a car park in Worthing.

Suleman Mukaish, aged 27, targeted the vulnerable victim in Lyndhurst Road.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, received support from specially-trained officers. She reported the offence to a member of the public who then called police.

Mukaish was arrested at London Gatwick Airport two days after the offence having booked a one-way ticket to leave the country. He was subsequently charged with rape, which he admitted in court on 13 April.

Mukaish, a Pakistani national who was studying in the UK, of Cambridge Road, Worthing, appeared for sentence at Hove Crown Court on 23 June where he was jailed for 11 years and three months.

The court was told how the incident happened at about 7.30pm on 11 March this year. The victim was found by a witness returning to their vehicle, and informed the witness she had been raped.

“I could see she was in a bad way,” the witness said.

Police launched an investigation and witnesses came forward to report vital information.

Detectives were able to piece together CCTV footage which showed Mukaish grabbing the victim and taking her to the car park, where she was raped. They also found a fingerprint and handprint matching Mukaish on a car at the scene of the crime.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour said:

“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and courage and for her support of the investigation. Also I would like to thank the many witnesses and members of the public who helped her at the scene and who came forward to report information to the police. This information and support from the community was vital to ensure we secured a conviction in this case.

“I would also like to commend the dedication, professionalism and determination of the investigative team, whose painstaking work in gathering evidence and following every line of enquiry was instrumental in securing a compelling case to support a vulnerable victim and bring a dangerous offender to justice.

“Despite answering ‘no comment’ during police interviews and making a short statement to deny the offence, when presented with the strength of our evidence, Mukaish chose to plead guilty in court.

“This case shows our determination to catch offenders, and Mukaish is now serving a significant custodial sentence.”

“We take reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and tackling incidents of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a priority for Sussex Police."

Description

A man from Worthing has been jailed for 2 years and 4 months after being convicted of possessing child abuse material and carrying out a sustained campaign of online deception and abuse against young women and teenage girls.  
 
Charles Wood, 34, was sentenced yesterday (13 January) at Lewes Crown Court after pleading guilty to a series of offences including possession of child abuse material and sharing images without consent.
 
Wood was found to be in possession of 30 images of child abuse material, spanning categories A, B and C, and possessing an extreme pornographic image.
 
The court heard that Wood went to extreme lengths to deceive and exploit his victims. He created a fictitious online persona, posing as a teenage girl named ‘Riley’.
 
Using this persona, Wood amassed a substantial following on social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram, as well as dating sites. To further the deception, he used a voice changing application to impersonate a young female voice, the audio then being used to communicate with his victims. The voice-changer videos were played in court. Judge Van Der Zwart described these videos as chilling, in the degree to which they were able to convey to the victims that they were communicating with a female. Before sentencing, the judge told Wood he presented a high risk of harm to children and women and girls, using either his real persona or false ones.
 
While posing as Riley, Wood formed online relationships with teenage girls and young women. He sent sexually explicit images and videos, and pressured victims to do the same. Some of the images he obtained were later shared with other predatory men online. Enquiries to identify those individuals remain ongoing.
 
Wood also targeted vulnerable teenage girls he knew to be selling content online. By posing as ‘Riley’, he directed these girls to himself, enabling him to obtain further sexual images without payment.
 
As part of his offending, Wood sent messages and images falsely claiming that ‘Riley’ was self-harming and attempting to end her life. He also pretended to be ‘Riley’s’ mother, using different names to continue the deception.  
 
Wood was convicted of multiple offences under the Online Safety Act, including sending false communications with intent to cause harm and sharing intimate images without consent. These offences related to three separate victims.
 
Wood was arrested on 21 November 2024 and bailed with conditions while the investigation continued. He was charged at Worthing Custody Centre on 10 September 2025 with eight charges; possessing an extreme pornographic image, possessing a total of 30 images of child abuse in categories A, B and C, sending false communication with intent to cause harm and sharing a private image without consent.
 
Wood appeared at Worthing Magistrates Court on 14 November 2025, where he pleaded guilty to all charges.
 
On Tuesday, 13 January, at Lewes Crown Court, he was jailed for 2 years and 4 months. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will last 10 years, and the court ordered that all his devices be destroyed.
 
Investigator Rose Horan, from the Online Child Abuse Team, said:

“Wood’s behaviour was deliberate, sophisticated, carefully planned, highly manipulative and cruel. He set out to manipulate and control young women and girls for his own sadistic and sexual gratification. The three victim impact statements helped to convey how psychologically damaging his actions were, leaving the victims feeling betrayed and violated. 
 
“Wood’s offending is another unwelcome reminder of the dangers posed to children online. 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.
 
"The Online Child Abuse Team continue to work with our partners to identify and apprehend offenders, while educating families on steps they can take to keep their children safe online."

Description

A Worthing sex offender has been jailed after attempting to conceal indecent images of children, police have said.

Lewis Peters, 31, was arrested at his home address in Worthing on June 3, following an intelligence-led operation by Sussex Police’s Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT).

“A Worthing sex offender has been jailed for possession of indecent images of children,” a police statement read.

"Peters attempted to conceal a small memory card which featured 250 category A indecent images and videos of children.

“His phone was examined, which was found to contain 32 Category A, 74 Category B and 12 Category C images.”

Police said Peters was already subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which he was handed in April 2023. Being in possession of these images put him in breach of this order, police said.

A spokesperson added: “The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photo of a child, four counts of breaching a SHPO and possession of extreme pornographic images, when he appeared before Hove Crown Court on July 5.

“He was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment at Hove Crown Court on July 16.”

Investigator Maisie Upjohn, of Worthing OCAT, said possessing and downloading indecent images of children is an ‘extremely serious offence’ – reflected in the ‘significant custodial sentence given to him at court’.

She added: “Lewis Peters appears to be determined to continue offending despite the SHPO given to him after conviction for other offences in April 2023.

"Somewhere in the world there is a poor victim from each of the images and videos that Peters had.

"This case shows that we will relentlessly pursue offenders to stop them from causing further harm to children."

Description

A Worthing man who groomed two children on social media and engaged in sexual activity with one of them has been jailed.

Jack Laingchild, 36, of Pond Lane in Worthing, began communicating with two girls – aged 14 and 15 at the time – via social media in the summer of 2018.

Laingchild sent sexualised messages and pictures of his genitals, before meeting both of the girls on multiple occasions, giving them cannabis before engaging in sexual activity in his car.

Both girls reported the incidents to their parents, who informed the police, and an investigation was launched while both children were safeguarded.

Laingchild was identified as a suspect and subsequently arrested.

At Lewes Crown Court on 17 January, 2024, he was found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a child and two counts of engaging in sexual communications with children. A charge of rape was ordered to lie on file.

At the same court on 8 March, Laingchild was jailed for four years, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly reducing his access to and ability to harm children.

Detective Constable Katie Brixey said: “Jack Laingchild showed a calculated plan to groom his victims, isolate them with the offer of illegal drugs and exploit them for his own sexual gratification.

“Thankfully they had the courage and foresight to report his offending to their parents, who in turn came to the police so they could be safeguarded and Laingchild brought to justice.

“He now faces a period behind bars and is subject to orders designed to stop him causing further harm to young people.”

Description

A registered sex offender who had hundreds of illegal images of children has been sentenced. 

Ian Crockford, 52, of Stone Lane in Salvington, was the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after being jailed for child sex offences in 2019. The SHPO severely restricted his access to digital devices and vulnerable people.

On 7 March 2023, new information was received about Crockford being in possession of further indecent images of children.

He was arrested and analysis of his mobile phone and computers showed hundreds of indecent images of children.

He also had shared illegal images of children and instructed another person on how to abuse a child.

He was subsequently charged with six counts of making or distributing indecent images of a child, one count of publishing an obscene article and breaching his SHPO.

He pleaded guilty to all charges at Worthing Magistrates Court on 12 December 2023 and was released on court bail awaiting sentence.

While on court bail, officers identified that Crockford had breached his bail conditions and committed further criminal offences by obtaining a new mobile phone and attempting to sexually communicate with children.  More indecent images of children were also found on his device.

Crockford was again arrested and charged with four further counts of making or distributing indecent images of children, publishing an obscene article and another breach of his SHPO.

He pleaded guilty to all charges again and, at Lewes Crown Court on 29 February 2024, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for all matters.

Description

A crystal meth smoking paedophile priest who fantasised about sacrificing babies to Satan has been jailed for four years after a judge said he was a danger to children.

Rev David Renshaw, from Worthing, boasted he was a “sadistic b******” who corrupted young boys.

A judge told the 63-year-old vicar his refusal to accept responsibility for his actions showed he remains a danger to the public.

“You are still unable to accept your criminality and sexual interest in children,” Judge Christine Henson KC said.

A jury at Hove took less than 30 minutes to convict Renshaw of all eight counts of possessing indecent, extreme and illegal images of children and animals.

“Perhaps incarceration will help you realise you need treatment,” the judge told him.

As a serving vicar, Renshaw, who had more than 22,000 illegal images on his computers, was a high risk to children.

The age, vulnerability and clear pain and distress caused to the children in the images and videos were aggravating factors in his four year sentence, the judge told Renshaw.

The time and effort it would have taken to amass such a large collection showed his level of commitment, the judge said.

“It showed you were involved in a network of sharing indecent images of children,” she said.

Renshaw, a vicar since 1985, sat motionless in an interview suite as he was sentenced by video from HMP Lewes.

He will spend half of the four year sentence in custody before he is eligible for release on licence.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning Renshaw from unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 years will apply when he leaves prison.

He will also be required to be on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and pay £4,200 costs.

In his defence, Sarah Day said the vicar had lost everything.

“These convictions bring to a close the life he has previously known,” Ms Day said.

“He has lost his home and his vocation.”

The cleric remained on a Church of England safe list for two years after National Crime Agency police traced his online activity.

Renshaw was still on the list days after his conviction in February this year.

A jury found him guilty of having more than 22,000 indecent images and videos of children and animals.

Renshaw, who attempted suicide after the guilty verdict, said he had few limits and could sink really low.

He told other paedophiles online: “I’m a sadistic b******.

“Through and f****** through.”

Renshaw was made priest in charge of Christ Church Worthing in December 2019.

He was on long term sick leave and in hospital when police raided his home on August 11, 2020.

He was also cautioned by police for possession of Class A and B drugs in May 2021.

Police found rotting dead animals, used needles and drug pipes when they raided his parish home.

The RSPCA seized severely malnourished dogs, cats and chickens after the police raid.

Police traced his online activity to a computer at his three bed semi.

Hove Crown Court heard it would have taken months to download all the images and video found on the hard drive.

The Church of England vicar tried to claim he would not have had time to download all the images and video, telling police: “Sermons don’t write themselves.”

Police found backups of his online and message app conversations with other perverts.

Renshaw asked one other user to offer his three-year-old to Satan.

Other sick chats involved sacrificing babies to the devil.

After his crimes were discovered, Renshaw tried to frame his own sons, telling police they had access to his computers.

In statements read to the court, his sons said they were saddened and disappointed their own father named them as potential suspects.

The jury heard graphic descriptions of horrific child sex abuse videos police found on the drive.

Police also found dozens of porn DVDs when they searched his house.

Renshaw initially denied, then admitted he sent social media and chat messages to other paedophiles discussing extreme child abuse.

Renshaw, a former chaplain in a youth offender unit, wrote: “I love corrupting boys with drugs.”

In the witness box, Renshaw said he used crystal meth when he was lonely and bored.

The jury did not believe his explanations for his online activity and returned eight verdicts in less than 25 minutes.

Jurors were offered counselling after listening to graphic descriptions of the downloads.

They found him guilty of three counts of possessing indecent images of children; three counts of making indecent images of children; possessing prohibited images of children; and possessing extreme pornographic images portraying acts of intercourse with animals, namely dogs and horses.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant David Rose, said: “Throughout this investigation, Renshaw has sought to blame anyone but himself.

“He has failed to accept or take any responsibility for his actions, which I am certain the local parish he represented would be appalled by.

“The search of his address was one of the most revolting tasks our officers will ever have to endure.

“As well as malnourished living animals, there was also a dead rotting kitten and a dead rotting rat on the floor, in addition to used needles and other drug paraphernalia lying around.

“It was a deeply unpleasant scene to search.

“It was also a particularly harrowing experience for the officer who had to sift through and grade each image, something that will stay with him for the rest of his life.”

The Diocese of Chichester said Renshaw was suspended immediately after police searched his address and he has not been in active ministry since.

Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, said the diocese cooperated closely with Sussex Police throughout this investigation.

“Mr Renshaw’s appalling offences involved the possession of thousands of obscene images,” a church spokesman said.

“Following his conviction, further action will now be taken against him under the Clergy Discipline Measure.”

Renshaw was sentenced to four years, two years, one year, four years, two years, one year and two terms of three months each to run concurrently for the eight changes.

Description

A paedophile Jack Bauer fan who had counter terrorism unit-style badges and followed children around in a car fitted with flashing blue lights has walked free from court.

Spencer Pledge had stab vests, handcuffs and badges despite being banned from owning anything which could make him look like a police officer.

The bin man was jailed in 2013 for 34 months after he followed young girls around in the car, filming them and himself.

Pledge, of Sackville Road, Broadwater, Worthing, admitted 18 offences including sexual activity in the presence of children and possessing hundreds of indecent images of children.

The 46-year-old had videos of himself carrying out indecent acts with girls in the background.

Police also found hundreds of indecent images of young children Pledge downloaded from the internet.

He admitted four offences of sexual activity in the presence of ten to 12-year-old girls, eight offences of making indecent photographs of children, five offences of having more than 900 indecent photographs of children and one offence of outraging public decency in the presence of three ten-year old children and two adult women.

As part of his sentence, Pledge was banned from having any emergency services kit.

Pledge was required to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely on his release from prison.

He was also given an indefinite sexual offenders prevention order, later changed to the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The order had nine conditions intended to prevent Pledge from having any access to children and to prevent any further offences being committed when he was released from prison.

But after his release, a search of his home found two stab vests, handcuffs, a radio and police insignias.

One of the stab vests had the Sussex Police crest and ID sewn into the inside.

He was arrested and at a trial at Lewes Crown Court Pledge told a jury he was a big fan of American crime drama 24 and had the Jack Bauer badges as part of his memorabilia collection. 

The sex offender claimed he needed the stab vests when he was pretending to be police for an Airsoft game, a type of paintball.

Jack Bauer, the character made famous by Kiefer Sutherland, is a fictional US counter terrorism officer.

Pledge breached Sexual Harm Prevention Orders barring him from having a camera in a vehicle and having police uniform.

When officers examined his phones during a routine home visit in 2019, they found an image of Pledge taken inside his bin lorry.

A further search uncovered the stab vests and other gear.

After he was jailed in 2013, Sussex Police Detective Constable Lindsey Van-Buiten said: “Pledge had acted in a most offensive and distressing way towards these young girls, who were very shaken by their experience.

“Some didn’t know quite how report it at the time but they and their families have given their full co-operation to this inquiry.

“Pledge’s offending was made even worse by his videoing of some of his acts and also by, separately, downloading indecent images of children from the internet, all for his own gratification.

“There is no evidence that he physically assaulted any children but we are relieved that his offending has been brought to a close.”

Following his conviction for breaching his SHPO, a spokesman for Sussex Police said: "Spencer Pledge is a committed offender, whose pattern of behaviour was spotted thanks to the vigilance of our officers in conducting random checks of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

"Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are aimed at limiting an offender's ability to cause harm and this is a prime example of their enforcement.

"Alongside our partner agencies will continue to use all tools at our disposal to catch perpetrators of sexual offences, put measures in place to limit their offending outside of the criminal justice system and respond swiftly to any breaches of these restrictions."

The jury found Pledge guilty of breaching the SHPO by having a camera in a vehicle and possessing police uniform.

Judge Stephen Mooney jailed Pledge for two years, suspended for two years and ordered him to do 200 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days.

Description

A convicted registered sex offender has been jailed for breaching the conditions of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by contacting a 12-year-old child.

Kevin Challen, 55, from Worthing, had been first convicted in March 2021 for possessing indecent images of children that were found on his computer during an investigation by police. This resulted in him receiving a suspended prison sentence of 10 months, being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and subject to specific restrictions under a SHPO.

Whilst serving his suspended sentence, Challen went on to breach the conditions of the SHPO and through lies and deception, befriended unsuspecting family friends and started messaging a 12-year-old child.

The child was brave enough to inform their parents of the extent of Challen's unlawful contact with them and this resulted in Sussex Police officers arresting Challen again.

After a detailed investigation, Challen was charged with three offences of breaching his SHPO and also for failing to comply with notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register.

Challen pleaded guilty to the offences and appeared at Lewes Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday (15 March) where he received a prison sentence of 31 months and his SHPO was amended to run indefinitely.

Crime investigator Dawn Hosken said: “I would like to commend the victim for their bravery in coming forward and to the witnesses for their support in this case. Challen, a convicted sex offender, is now in prison.”

Description

A vicar found with more than 20,000 indecent images of children on his computer has been convicted in court.

David Renshaw was found guilty of eight counts after a trial at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday, February 7th.

These included three counts of possessing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of possessing prohibited images of children, and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images depicting acts of intercourse with animals, specifically dogs and horses.

The 63-year-old, of Wallace Avenue, Worthing, was arrested in June 2019 after an illegal image was discovered on a file-sharing website in New Zealand.

Because the account was linked to Renshaw via his email address and IP address, officials notified the National Crime Agency, who notified Sussex Police.

After obtaining and executing a search warrant at his residence in August 2020, police seized a number of devices. There were a total of 22,504 illegal images discovered.

The RSPCA also seized several dogs, cats, and chickens that were severely malnourished.

Renshaw, the vicar of Holy Trinity and Christ Church in Worthing, was arrested and charged with the offences, which he vigorously denied.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges, which followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Sussex Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT).

Renshaw was found guilty on all eight counts by a jury at Hove Crown Court, where he was tried. He has been released on bail until his sentencing on March 13th.

“Throughout this investigation, Renshaw has sought to blame everyone but himself,” said the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant David Rose. He has refused to accept or accept responsibility for his actions, which I am sure would outrage the local parish he represented.

“Through painstaking and careful enquiries, we were able to show that the child abuse images were on his computer, saved under his username and found on a hard drive on his desk. The sheer number of images suggests that they were amassed over a long period of time.

“The search for his address was one of the most revolting tasks our officers have ever had to endure. Aside from malnourished living animals, there was a dead rotting kitten and a dead rotting rat on the floor, as well as used needles and other drug paraphernalia. The search was an extremely unpleasant scene.

“It was also a particularly harrowing experience for the officer who had to sift through and grade each image, something that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

“I am grateful to our partner agencies for their support, and to the Diocese of Chichester for their full co-operation throughout the investigation.

“All necessary safeguarding investigations were conducted, and no identifiable children were at risk in this case.”

Description

A MAN has been jailed for raping a woman. Police said Isaac Amponsah was found unanimously guilty by a jury of oral rape at a property in Worthing in November 2018. At Hove Crown Court, the 41-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison and handed a restraining order preventing him from any future contact with the victim. Amponsah, of Strand Parade, Goring, will also be placed on the sex offenders register for life. Investigating Officer Amber Evans said: I hope the outcome of this case will provide reassurance to the public that reports of sexual offences are investigated diligently and tirelessly. I also hope it will give other victims of sexual offences the confidence to make a report to the police. The victim in this case has shown incredible bravery, not only in reporting this matter but in supporting the investigation and prosecution over an extended period of time. She gave evidence in court and should be proud of the key part she played in bringing Amponsah to justice. Hopefully the conviction and sentence will offer some level of comfort to the victim and will prevent Amponsah from committing any such crime in the future. Importantly, once he is released from prison, he will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely, affording long-term protection to other women.

Description

A Worthing pensioner, who sexually abused a 'very young girl', will spend four years in jail. Sussex Police said Michael Lamb, 76, has been found guilty of sexual assault by touching on a child under the age of 13, and causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity. Investigating officer Detective Constable Cheyne Garrett said: The victim showed huge courage to come forward and report [this] which took place when she was a very young girl. The victim first approached officers in January 2020, police said. Lamb, of Melrose Avenue, Worthing, was arrested and was later charged. He stood trial at Lewes Crown Court earlier this year where a jury found him guilty of all charges, and he was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on May 5. Police confirmed that Lamb was imprisoned for four years and was put on the sex offenders register. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which forbids him from having unsupervised contact with children. This also prevents Lamb from residing or working with children and young people, or approaching or talking with children. DC Garrett added: Lamb denied the offences and has caused trauma to the victim and her family by making them go through a criminal trial. This case demonstrates that we take historic sexual abuse very seriously. The victim received support from specialist officers throughout the process. We were determined to get justice for the victim, and following a thorough investigation we are pleased with the jurys verdict.

Description

THE National Crime Agency have released the image of this paedophile from Sussex who used a sickening “dark web” child abuse site.

Police around the world took down a global child abuse ring where users gained “loyalty points” for uploading videos of abuse to the site.

It was uncovered by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) while investigating one of the nation’s most prolific paedophiles.

The NCA have released the image of Worthing man Daniel Farrar to The Argus, who was one of the website’s 300 users across 38 countries.

The 21-year-old, of Compton Avenue, was found in possession of the indecent category A images in April.

He was handed a six-month suspended prison term.

He was also ordered to complete 31 days at a rehabilitation group.

The NCA confirmed Farrar is one of seven men from the UK who, so far, have been found to have used the site.

More than 250,000 horrific videos of sexual abuse of children were available through the website called “Welcome To Video”.

Paedophiles from around the world, who did not upload their own abuse videos, paid in bitcoin to download the videos.

Chilling images released by the NCA, which show what the website looked like, reveal users were told not to upload porn over the age of 15.

To download videos, users either had to spend points – obtained when they uploaded their own videos of abuse, or purchased with near-untraceable currency, Bitcoin.

NCA uncovered the “horrific” website during an investigation into British paedophile Dr Matthew Falder.

Cambridge graduate Falder admitted 137 offences which included encouraging child rape, and sharing images of the abuse of a newborn baby.

He has been jailed for 25 years.

Another man sentenced for his involvement was Kyle Fox, 26.

Fox, from Surrey, admitted 14 charges against a five-year-old boy including seven rapes and and five charges of sexual assault against a three-year-old girl.

Footage of him abusing the girl was uploaded to the Welcome To Video site.

The US Department of Justice have charged South Korean suspect Jong Woo Son, 23, with running the website which was available on the “dark web”.

There have been 337 suspected arrested globally, in countries including America, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Spain.

Nikki Holland, NCA Director of Investigations, said: “Dark web child sex offenders – some of whom are the very worst offenders – cannot hide from law enforcement.

“They’re not as cloaked as they think they are.

“They’re not as safe as they think they are.

“I’m immensely proud of the role we played in catching some very depraved and dangerous global offenders and for beginning the work that eventually caught Jong Woo Son.”