A BRIGHTON and Hove City Council worker has been jailed for 30 months after pleading guilty to attempting to meet a young girl for sex. 

Gary Frape, 56, who worked in buildings and maintenance for the local authority, was arrested and charged for a string of sexual offences last year. 

Frape, of Honeycrag Court, Polegate, was sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on May 3 after pleading guilty to attempting to cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity between September 27 and October 8 2021. 

He also pleaded guilty to an offence of adult attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child during the same dates, and pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and adult attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child between August 9 and October 8, 2021. 

There were no separate penalties for these offences. 

Police were called to Pevensey Bay Road, Eastbourne, on October 8 last year following concerns from members of the public. 

Officers attended and Frape was arrested. 

At the time of his arrest, neighbours spoke of their shock while a spokesman for the council said he was not working for the authority at that time. He said Frape could face “appropriate action”. 

Following his conviction, Frape was issued with a sexual harm prevention order, to last until further order, and has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely. 

Brighton and Hove City Council has been approached for comment. 

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