Brian Grice

Brian Grice, a 68-year-old man from Bexleyheath in Greater London, appeared to lead a respectable life as a hard-working family man until police raided his home on Little Heath Road in 2018. Officers were acting on intelligence that Grice had been downloading child sexual abuse images from the internet, leading to his initial conviction in 2023 for possessing indecent images.

Further investigations revealed even more serious allegations. In early 2023, a child, who was unaware of Grice's online activities, came forward to police disclosing that they had been sexually assaulted and raped by him starting from as young as six years old. Grice, who was on bail, faced trial at Croydon Crown Court on charges including two counts of raping a child, attempting to rape a child, sexual assault of a child, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mid-trial on 6 August 2023, Grice failed to appear in court, prompting police enquiries that revealed he had boarded a train to Paris, France. He returned later that same day following extensive efforts by authorities to track him down. Judge Elizabeth Lowe noted during sentencing that it was unclear whether Grice intended to flee permanently or merely sought to disrupt the proceedings.

Grice was ultimately convicted on all five charges by the jury. On 23 October 2024, at Croydon Crown Court, he was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment. Judge Lowe addressed Grice directly, stating: "You caused a very young child untold harm. You still deny the offending. You seem to believe that what has happened to you in the last few years is everyone’s fault but your own." The judge praised the victim as an "extraordinarily brave" individual for coming forward.

Grice must serve a minimum of 14 years before being eligible for consideration by the parole board, provided it is deemed safe for release. The Metropolitan Police Service led the investigation into these child sex offences, highlighting the severity of Grice's actions and the impact on the victim. This case, reported by News Shopper on 28 October 2024, underscores the ongoing efforts to combat child sexual exploitation in the UK.