'Dangerous' Southampton 'predator' jailed for child sex offences with constable slamming his 'cowardice'

George Gibbs has been put behind bars after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was sentenced to 10 years and three months in prison today.

Gibbs, 55, appeared for the Southampton Crown Court.

Trainee detective constable Dawn Capper, from the Hampshire police child abuse investigation team, said Gibb’s ‘cowardice’ was shown when the verdict was reached without him present in court.

Gibbs sexually abused two girls in Southampton, between July 2018 and September 27, 2020 – when it was reported to Hampshire Constabulary.

Specialist officers conducted a detailed investigation and arrested Gibbs, of Harefield Road, Southampton.

TDC Capper said: ‘Gibbs continually denied the offences, forcing his young victims to relive these traumatic experiences in the trial.

‘To make matters worse, he refused to attend, with the verdict being reached in his absence.

‘By doing so, Gibbs has shown complete distain for his victims and not a shred of remorse.

‘In contrast to his cowardice, these two victims have demonstrated such bravery throughout the investigation and I would like to commend them for their actions, which have made Southampton a safer place by removing a dangerous predator from the streets.

‘If you or a loved one has experienced a similar situation, then I hope reading this encourages you to report what has happened to us.

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‘We will take your report seriously, support you every step of the way and do our best to ensure you receive justice.’

Incidents can be reported via 101, or the Hampshire Constabulary website.

Advice and guidance on how to report possible child sex offences can be found here.