A PROLIFIC sex offender who raped a woman while on prison licence has been jailed for nine years.

Richard Bright admitted to raping a woman in Worthing in October 2018, after conversing through an online dating website while on release from prison.

The 49-year-old was sentenced to nine years in prison at Hove Crown Court on September 3.

Bright raped a woman in her 30s, who was known to him, at an address in Worthing.

He will serve the first seven years in prison and the remaining two years will be spent on extended licence supervision.

He also remains a registered sex offender for life.

The Argus: Richard Bright admitted to raping a woman in Worthing in October 2018 Richard Bright admitted to raping a woman in Worthing in October 2018

Bright, of Marlborough Road, Lancing, was given a renewed Sexual Harm Prevention Order to run until further court order, severely restricting his contact with women and girls.

The 2018 incident was not his first of the kind.

In March 2014, Bright was given a nine-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to nine offences of sexual assaults against an eight-year-old girl known to him.

Those offences were carried out under his previous name of Clive Frost.

He was living in Horsham at the time.

Detective Constable Lauren Ifould, of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: "Bright met his second victim through a dating website while on licence, and again took advantage of a relationship to commit a sexual offence.

"This was further very serious offending by Bright and it is good that justice has now been done in this case."

More information on how to report sexual offences and the support that is available can be found on the Sussex Police website.