Former maintenance engineer preyed on a young girl in his care as a scouts leader.

Former Scout Leader Sentenced for Child Sex Abuse

Daniel Williams, 51, a former maintenance engineer, has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl while serving as a scout leader in Sussex.

Williams, formerly of Hassocks, admitted to assaulting the child by penetration at a previous hearing. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

The court sentenced Williams to a total of six years, with an additional year on license. This means he will not be automatically released after serving half his sentence.

Williams was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his access to children, and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Detective Constable Dan Griffiths from the Safeguarding Investigations Unit stated: "The victim in this case showed tremendous courage to come forward and report what had happened. She and her family received support from specially-trained officers. Daniel Williams is a dangerous offender who used his trusted position to enable his offending. He has abused that trust in the most abhorrent manner."