James Scott

On 7 June 2025, at approximately 11am, James Scott, a 45-year-old man of no fixed address, approached a vulnerable woman in her 20s in the St James’s Street area of Brighton, East Sussex. The woman, who was in a vulnerable position and not previously known to Scott, was subjected to a distressing sexual assault witnessed by members of the public.

Witnesses observed Scott grabbing the woman and attempting to stand her up before giving her alcohol. He then sexually assaulted her while she was not fully conscious and without her consent. When confronted by the witnesses, Scott falsely claimed that the victim was his girlfriend. The incident occurred in full view of passers-by, who promptly challenged Scott, supported the victim, and contacted Sussex Police to report the matter.

The victim was taken to hospital following the assault and received support from specially-trained officers. Sussex Police launched an investigation into the incident, treating it with the utmost seriousness given the nature of the offence and the vulnerability of the victim.

Scott stood trial at Lewes Crown Court in December 2025. On an unspecified date in December, he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault but acquitted of one count of attempted rape. On 5 December 2025, he was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for the sexual assault offences.

Detective Inspector Kirstie Neal of Sussex Police commented after the case: 'This was a distressing incident on a vulnerable victim that was witnessed in full view of witnesses. First of all I would like to thank the victim for her support for our investigation, we were determined to get justice in this case. I also want to thank all the witnesses who challenged Scott, supported the victim, and contacted the police to ensure swift action could be taken. We take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and we understand the concern that this case caused. So we are pleased that a dangerous offender has received a custodial sentence and has been taken off our streets.' The case was reported by Sussex Police on their official website.