Man, 64, kidnapped girl in Hastings and sexually assaulted her in Bexhill 

Steven Arthur Perry, 64, retired, of Rothwell Drive, Solihull, West Midlands, was sentenced to six years imprisonment, one of which is to be served on extended licence, said Sussex Police.

He appeared at Brighton Crown Court on Friday (February 5) having been previously convicted of false imprisonment, kidnapping with intent to commit a sexual offence and sexual assault, police said.

A police spokesman said: “Police first received a report from a member of the public about a teenage girl being apparently followed by a man in a white vehicle in Gorselands, Bexhill around midnight on Saturday 27 June last year.

“The girl was seen to get into the vehicle which drove away.

“Officers swiftly tracked down the suspect vehicle and Perry to a property in Withyham Road, Cooden, Bexhill, the address of a relative where he was staying.”

The victim was not at the address but was later found at a East Sussex address belonging to her family.

Detective Constable Ollie Bali of the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “Our investigation found that Perry had spotted the vulnerable girl alone in Hastings town centre, and on the pretext of looking after her, made her come with him to the Bexhill address where he sexually assaulted her before driving her to the other address.

“It was after they left the bungalow that they were seen apparently arguing by the member of the public who thankfully called us.

“Perry had clearly taken advantage of the young girl’s vulnerability to compel her to go with him for his own sexual gratification, only releasing her when she began to resist him.

“She bravely gave her evidence via videolink and this was clearly an important factor in helping ensure that justice was done.”

Perry will also be a registered sex offender indefinitely and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order severely restricting his access to children until further court notice.

The court also gave Perry a ten-year Restraining Order prohibiting contact with the victim and witnesses.