Alice McElhinney

A Bexhill man and woman have been imprisoned for committing sexual offences against a teenage girl they were training as an army cadet. Dennis Bowie, aged 49, and Alice McElhinney, aged 33, were both members of the Army Cadet Force in Bexhill at the time of the incidents. Bowie served as a Lieutenant, while McElhinney was a Sergeant. The pair, residing on Cornwall Road, appeared for sentencing at Lewes Crown Court on Friday, 28 May 2021, after previously admitting to multiple offences.

McElhinney admitted to one count of sexual communication with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child. She was sentenced to a total of three years and nine months in prison. Like her co-defendant, McElhinney will be registered as a sex offender for life and was issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), severely restricting her access to children.

The charge against McElhinney of conspiracy to incite children into sexual activity was not proceeded with. The prosecution was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following an investigation by detectives from the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit.

Detective Constable Anthony Luke commented: 'The defendants committed sexual offences against a young girl which were also a serious breach of trust in relation to their roles having responsibility for the care and welfare of young people.' The court heard that three girl cadets in the same unit had been subjected to personal and online attention from Bowie and McElhinney, breaching Army Cadet Force rules on contact between staff and cadets. This case underscores the profound betrayal of trust by those in positions of authority over vulnerable young individuals.