West Sussex: Man jailed for rapes and sexual assaults on boys and men

The 71-year-old had pleaded guilty to 43 charges

A West Sussex man who raped and sexually assaulted multiple boys and young men has been jailed.

On Thursday Ian Elliott, of North Heath near Pulborough, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Thursday to 18 years in prison, with an additional five years to be spent on licence.

In November he was charged with 92 separate offences against his victims between 1999 and 2021.

The 71-year-old had pleaded guilty to 43 charges involving four victims.

These included 11 counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, 17 counts of voyeurism, eight sexual assaults, four counts of possession of drugs, one count of causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Sussex Police said Elliot was a "trusted member of the community", and was the chairman of a local sports association and was involved in local social clubs.

Filmed attacks

A police spokesperson said he earned the trust of his victims, who were aged between 16 and 28 at the time of the offences, as well as their families.

They said: "He would then give his victims drugs and alcohol with the intention of stupefying or overpowering them, before subjecting them to rapes and serious sexual assaults.

"Many of the attacks were filmed by Elliott himself. Footage was discovered by investigating officers, despite Elliott's attempts to destroy it, which was used in evidence against him."

An additional 38 charges will lie on file, and no evidence was offered by prosecutors for the remaining 11 counts.

Following the sentencing, Det Supt Miles Ockwell said: "This is the only appropriate outcome given the multiple lives he has ruined as a result of his relentless campaign of sexual abuse, hidden behind the façade of a trustworthy pillar of his local community."

Passing sentence, Judge Jeremy Gold said: "There is not a trace of empathy for the four young men who you sexually abused and have been severely affected by your behaviour."

Elliot was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be a registered sex offender for life.

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