Convicted sex offender who travelled more than 150 miles to prey on a young girl.

Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Nine Years for Preying on Young Girl in West Sussex

Gary Fenn, 50, of Saxon Road, Saxmundham, Suffolk, was sentenced to a nine-year extended sentence at Hove Crown Court on Friday, November 5th. This sentence comprises five years imprisonment and a four-year extended period on prison release licence.

Fenn was convicted of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 and two breaches of Sex Offender Registration Notification requirements. He is now a registered sex offender for life and has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last indefinitely, severely limiting his access to children and digital communication devices.

Detective Constable Emily Turner of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit stated, "In June of this year, Fenn, already a registered sex offender with previous convictions for offences involving indecent images of children, used a dating website to connect with a woman. He then travelled to Southwick, Sussex, to meet her."

"During this meeting, Fenn sexually assaulted her young daughter. The girl bravely escaped the situation and informed her mother, who immediately contacted the police. Our swift investigation led to Fenn's arrest and subsequent charging by the CPS. He has remained in custody since his arrest."

Judge Shani Barnes, in sentencing Fenn, emphasized, "We cannot underestimate the damage caused to the family by Fenn exploiting this opportunity to offend."

Emily Turner concluded, "The courage displayed by this young lady in standing up to what she knew was wrong and in supporting this prosecution has undoubtedly kept other children safe from this predatory paedophile with a history of sexual offences."