A man from London was sentenced on Friday 14 February to 12 years imprisonment and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, following an investigation into child sex offences in Portsmouth.

William Brown (48) of Beatrice Close in Hillingdon, London appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday for sentencing, following his conviction at the same court on Thursday 19 December 2024 where he pleaded guilty to:

The Eastern Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT East) launched an investigation into Brown, after reports were received that he had groomed an 11 year-old boy Portsmouth in September 2023 and sexually abused a 7 year-old boy Port Solent in 2020.

Detective Sergeant Jo Smith of CAIT East said, “We would like to recognise the bravery of these young victims for speaking out against Brown and we thank them for trusting the police. It is because of their courage to come forward to their families and to us that we have been able to see Brown put behind bars.

“I would like to commend the work of the officer in charge of the case, DC Nick Park, who conducted a diligent investigation which led to the suspect pleading guilty ahead of a trial. I would also like to recognise the work of the remainder of my team who supported this investigation and together ensured that a dangerous offender will serve a lengthy prison sentence. 

“The Child Abuse Investigation Team will continue to work hard every day with our partner agencies to safeguard children and ensure that offenders like Brown face the justice they deserve.”

We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.

We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.

For information and contact details relating to sexual abuse support services, you can visit our dedicated web page: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/