Sexually assaulted five women as they walked in public.

Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Sexual Assaults in Bexhill

Max Wright, 27, formerly of Amherst Road in Bexhill, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting five women in separate incidents between November 2022 and June 2023.

The first incident occurred on November 20, 2022, when a woman walking alone from Bexhill Railway Station was grabbed and assaulted by a man who identified himself as Maximiliano. The victim engaged him in conversation to calm him down before escaping. Despite extensive investigations, including CCTV footage and door-to-door inquiries, a suspect could not be identified initially.

On April 15-16, 2023, three women walking from Cooden Railway Station were repeatedly assaulted by a man who threatened to rape them. The incident was reported on April 16, and officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team identified a suspect, leading to Wright's arrest the following day.

In the early hours of June 24, 2023, another woman walking in Bexhill was assaulted by a man who again threatened to rape her. She was on the phone with a friend and managed to capture brief footage of the attack, enabling investigators to quickly identify Wright as a suspect. He was arrested within hours and charged with five counts of sexual assault.

Wright pleaded guilty to all charges on July 24 at Hove Crown Court. On December 1, he was sentenced to four years in prison, with an additional three years on licence. Restraining orders were imposed against each victim, and Wright was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.