Construction worker who raped a three-year-old child.

Construction worker sentenced to 31 years for raping three-year-old child

Bradley Martin, 29, of Chandler Road in Bexhill, has been sentenced to 31 years in prison for raping a three-year-old child multiple times between April and October 2022.

Police were alerted after the child's mother took them to hospital for examination after finding unexplained injuries. Hospital staff in Hastings raised concerns to Sussex Police, leading to an investigation.

Martin was arrested on 26 October 2022. A search of his phone revealed incriminating searches including "how do police know if something has been penetrated?" and "how many years for sex offenders in Bexhill?". Officers also found 127 illegal images of extreme pornography involving both animals and humans.

He was charged with three counts of rape of a child under 13 and remanded in custody. Martin pleaded not guilty to all charges, but at Hove Crown Court on Monday, 3 July, he was found guilty of each of the offenses.

On Friday, 29 September, Martin was sentenced to 23 years in prison, with another eight years to be spent on extended license. He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly restricting his access to children and digital devices.

Detective Constable Kelly Yates, of Hastings Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: "Bradley Martin abused his young victim in the most heinous way, uncovered thanks to the care of the child's mother and diligence of medical professionals. My thanks go to the victim and their family for their courage and determination through what has been an extremely difficult process. With their support, we have been able to put Martin behind bars for a significant amount of time and put steps in place to ensure he can cause no further harm to the public."