Man jailed for sexually abusing two young girls

Custody image of Jack Napean.Image source, Devon and Cornwall Police
Image caption,

Jack Nepean has been jailed for 12 years for attacks on two young girls

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A man has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing two young girls.

Jack Nepean, 30, who was living at an address in Devon, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges.

The court heard he sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl left in his care in Crawley, West Sussex, on New Year's Eve 2022, and a five-year-old girl at an address in Devon.

Nepean will also have to serve seven years on licence and was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will restrict his access to children and electronic devices.

Police were first contacted in January 2023, with officers from Devon and Cornwall identifying further offences through Nepean's mobile phone.

Among the charges he admitted were sexual assault, making indecent images, three counts of voyeurism, and three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Det Insp Iain MacNab of Sussex Police said: "This was an absolute betrayal of the trust invested in Nepean, who used his position to commit these awful acts.

"The child showed extraordinary bravery in telling the police what happened to her. This has had a devastating effect on her and her family."

Det Con Pete White and Det Insp Becky Davies, from the Devon & Cornwall Police Public Protection Unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families for their commendable bravery and support of the police investigations.

“Their bravery to come forward and speak to police cannot be underestimated and I hope the sentence passed will allow them a small element of closure.”

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