Man jailed for sexual abuse of young girls in St Leonards

A man has been jailed for a number of sexual offences against young girls in St Leonards.
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John Martin Davis, 33, unemployed, and currently of no fixed address, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Monday (May 17) after being convicted of 17 offences relating to the sexual abuse in St Leonards over a two-year period of two girls known to him who were both under the age of 10 when the abuse first began, police said.

After a three-week trial, Davies was found guilty on Friday, November 27, of four counts of rape, two of attempted rape, eight counts of sexual assault, two of engaging in sexual activity and one of causing a child to watch images of sexual activity, police said.

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On Monday, Davis was jailed for 18 years. He will spend those years in custody, and a further seven years will be spent on extended prison licence supervision, Sussex Police added. He will also be a registered sex offender for life.

John Martin Davis. Picture: Sussex Police SUS-210519-073823001John Martin Davis. Picture: Sussex Police SUS-210519-073823001
John Martin Davis. Picture: Sussex Police SUS-210519-073823001

Davis was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to children and digital communication devices until further court order, police added.

A police spokesman said it was thanks to the ‘bravery and cooperation of the victims’ that Davis was found guilty by a jury following his trial in November.

Detective Constable Nicola Westgate from the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said; “I would like to pass my sincere gratitude to all of those involved in the trial. You made a real difference and helped to secure the conviction of a very dangerous man.

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“The two young victims gave their evidence by video recording, although they still had to face cross-examination, and the court also afforded them other measures to help minimise the impact of the experience for them.

“The sentencing clearly demonstrates the seriousness of the offending by Davis and we hope that it will give the victims a sense of closure and enable them to carry on with rebuilding their lives.”

For information and advice on reporting offences against children and the support services available, see the Sussex Police website.