A 35-year-old man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a child.

Benjamin Nichols, of Newdigate Road in Horsham, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and placed on the sexual offenders’ register.
Detective Constable Steven Cassidy of Reigate’s CID team was in charge of the investigation and thanked the victims for their brave actions which helped to bring Nichols to justice.

The case, which related to four incidents occurring between 2016 and 2017, marked the first time that victims have been cross-examined in a pre-recorded video in line with section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act.

Det Con Cassidy said: “This was a lengthy investigation so to get to this point and see a jury unanimously find Nichols guilty on four counts was a great result.

“The young victims were cross-examined beforehand and this was recorded and played out, so they didn’t have to relive their experiences in person before the courtroom. Giving evidence against someone who has assaulted you is a courageous thing to do however it is done, so I want to thank them for helping to bring Nichols to justice. I hope their brave actions and the fact that Nichols has been convicted and will suffer the consequences of his actions for some time to come, gives others who may have had experiences like this confidence to come to us for help.”

Nichols was sentenced on Monday. He was given 12 months for each of the four offences, to be served concurrently, and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. A sexual harm prevention order was also granted which allows for monitoring of his digital technology use and restricts his access to children.

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