East Sussex rapist jailed for sex attacks on young women

Lewis Jackson had denied committing sex attacks on two girls in East Sussex.

But he had previously been convicted of coercive control against both girls and served time in custody.

At Brighton Crown Court, he was found guilty of multiple counts of rape against one of the girls, and a serious sexual assault on another.

Judge Anne Arnold said Jackson had made the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, relive the trauma of the attacks in court.

The hairdresser was sentenced to a total of ten years in prison.

It was revealed that he raped a 17-year-old girl on five occasions in 2017, when he was 17, and attacked the other girl who was 15, in 2016.

Amanda Hamilton, prosecuting, said the offences took place between 2016 to 2017.

Jackson was previously convicted for coercive and controlling behaviour against three girls last year.

The sexual assaults were committed against two of the three girls.

Police first became aware of Jackson when they began receiving third party reports back in 2017 about his behaviour.

It began with three different assaults over a couple of months.

Following police enquiries it became apparent that Jackson was acting in a controlling way to other teenage girls, police said.

Jackson was arrested and interviewed but denied everything that was put to him. He was charged and then convicted of those offences and during that investigation, two of the victims found the courage to disclose the sexual offences.

These were then investigated separately, resulting in convictions in court yesterday.

Judge Arnold said: “Both the girls have been seriously affected by your offending.

“As regard the original offences that you also denied, you admitted that you had lied.

“The jury’s verdict and their conclusion is that you have simply lied again.

“You have been convicted of rape on no less than 14 separate occasions over the period of four months.

“In the process, you have put the two victims through the trauma of reliving the events that they may never be able to put behind them.”

The judge said she had to weigh up Jackson’s offences against his lack of maturity at the time, when he was 16 and 17.

Jackson, of Filsham Drive, Bexhill, will be put on the sex offenders register.

After the case Detective Constable Sally O’Shaughnessy said: “The victims are relieved to have been believed but their main concern was to prevent any future behaviour by Jackson.

“Although this may offer them some reassurance and closure, they both have a long road ahead of them in terms of rebuilding their trust and faith in human nature.”

She said anyone at risk of physical abuse or sexual exploitation should not “suffer in silence” and should speak to experienced police by calling 101 or reporting online.