Portslade man charged with 76 sexual offences against young boys

The charges relate to incidents that occurred between 1986 and 2011 across Sussex

Author: Jo SymesPublished 8th Dec 2023

A man has appeared in court to face 76 sexual offence charges against 18 boys over almost four decades.

Ian Silvester, 59, of Locks Hill in Portslade, has been charged with 42 counts of indecent assault, 27 counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child, four counts of sexual assault and three counts of possession of indecent images of children.

The charges relate to incidents that occurred between 1986 and 2011 across Sussex.

During the time of the alleged offences, Silvester worked as a Scout leader, children’s nurse, volunteer ambulance worker, diving instructor, first aid trainer and babysitter.

At Brighton Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 7 December, he was released on bail with strict conditions, to appear before the same court on 10 January, 2024.

If you believe you or anyone you know has been a victim of offences linked to this investigation, please contact police online or via 101, quoting Operation Gray.

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