Mark Anthony Roberts

In October 2016, Mark Anthony Roberts, then aged 55, committed a rape against a 22-year-old woman at a residential property in Gosport, Hampshire. The assault was non-recent, meaning it occurred several years prior to its reporting, highlighting the challenges in investigating historical sexual offences.

The victim demonstrated remarkable courage by reporting the incident to Fareham Police Station in November 2020, over four years after the event. She received ongoing support from specialist officers throughout the investigation and legal proceedings. Following her report, Roberts, residing at Stonebeach Rise in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, was interviewed under caution and subsequently charged with rape as part of the police inquiry led by the Operation Amberstone team.

On 20 May 2022, at Portsmouth Crown Court, Roberts was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for the offence. The judge commended the victim, describing her as 'heroic' for coming forward and reporting the non-recent crime, which underscored the importance of victim testimony in securing justice. In addition to his custodial sentence, Roberts was mandated to sign the sex offenders register for life, ensuring long-term monitoring to protect the public.

DC Marie Harding, from the Operation Amberstone team at Hampshire Constabulary, emphasised the significance of the case in her statement: 'It takes a great deal of courage for anyone who has been the victim of rape or sexual assault to come forward and report the matter to Police.' She praised the victim's bravery in supporting the investigation to its conclusion and noted that even delayed reports can lead to convictions, encouraging others in similar situations to seek justice. This case exemplifies Hampshire Constabulary's commitment to thoroughly investigating sexual offences and bringing perpetrators to account, as sourced from the official incident report on hampshireincidents.co.uk.