Man jailed for sexual abuse on two teenage girls in Sussex

The offences committed by John Gosling, also known as John Guile, date back to the late 2000s and the late 2010s

John Gosling
Author: Jo SymesPublished 20th Sep 2023
Last updated 20th Sep 2023

A man who sexually abused two teenage girls in Sussex has been jailed.

John Gosling, also known as John Guile, preyed on the two girls, and committed multiple offences against them.

The offences dated in the late 2000s and the late 2010s, and the victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, received support from specially-trained officers.

At Lewes Crown Court on September 14 Gosling, 49, a former gardener and labourer of Grange Close, Three Bridges, was jailed for a total of 16 years.

It followed his conviction for 11 offences which included assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by penetration, two counts of assaulting a girl aged 13 to 15 by penetration, and charges of attempting to engage girls aged 13 to 15 in both penetrative and non-penetrative sexual activity.

The court was told how the victims, who are not known to each other, came forward and disclosed the sexual abuse they had been subjected to.

Gosling was told he will have to serve a minimum of ten and a half years before he can be considered for parole.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed, which restricts his access to children, and he will be a registered sex offender for life.

Detective Constable Angela Harvey from the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “Gosling committed appalling abuse which has had a lasting impact on the lives of the two girls involved.

“I would like to praise them for the courage they showed to come forward and report their experiences to the police.

“Victims can come forward at any time, and we understand that there can sometimes be reasons why victims do not come forward at the time offences occur.

“Regardless of this, we take all reports of rape and serious sexual assault seriously, and we are determined to get justice for victims.

“The sentence in this case shows the serious criminality of Gosling, so we are pleased that a dangerous offender is now in prison serving a lengthy term.

“Information about how we investigate reports of sexual offences is available on the Sussex Police website here.

“Advice for victims including where to find help and support is also available on our website here.”

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