"Dangerous offender" jailed for 12 years for child sex offences in Portsmouth and Port Solent
A man has been jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to child sex offences in Portsmouth as police praised the bravery of the victims for speaking out.
William Brown, 48, of Beatrice Close in Hillingdon, London, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, February 14 and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
An investigation was launched by The Eastern Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT East) after reports that Brown had groomed an 11 year-old boy in Portsmouth in September 2023, and sexually abused a seven-year-old boy in Port Solent in 2020.
Brown had pled guilty to the rape of a boy under 13, two counts of cause/incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of assault a boy under 13 by touching, and grooming on December 19, 2024.
Detective sergeant Jo Smith of CAIT East said, “We would like to recognise the bravery of these young victims for speaking out against Brown and we thank them for trusting the police. It is because of their courage to come forward to their families and to us that we have been able to see Brown put behind bars.
“I would like to commend the work of the officer in charge of the case, DC Nick Park, who conducted a diligent investigation which led to the suspect pleading guilty ahead of a trial. I would also like to recognise the work of the remainder of my team who supported this investigation and together ensured that a dangerous offender will serve a lengthy prison sentence.
“The Child Abuse Investigation Team will continue to work hard every day with our partner agencies to safeguard children and ensure that offenders like Brown face the justice they deserve.”
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: “We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.
“We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.”
Further information regarding sexual abuse support services can be found on the Hampshire police website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/