Max N'Gasa

Max N'Gasa, aged 25 from Littlehampton, West Sussex, received an 11-year custodial sentence at Lewes Crown Court after a six-week trial resulted in his conviction on ten sexual offences, including two counts of rape. Together with Osmon Koroma, N'Gasa groomed and sexually exploited 12 girls aged 13 to 15 at Wick Parade in Littlehampton from 2010 to 2014. The defendants supplied the girls with cigarettes and alcohol to coerce them into performing sex acts, with some instances involving abuse by both men.

The investigation by Sussex Police revealed the extent of the exploitation, noting that Koroma's flat was a key site for the offences. Det Insp Miles Ockwell remarked, 'We are glad to know that justice has now been done for the girls,' emphasising the girls' vulnerability due to their emotional immaturity despite physical development. Victims provided harrowing impact statements; one felt 'worthless' as a result of the abuse, while another hoped to prevent similar incidents, stating, 'I don't want it to happen to anyone else.' N'Gasa was acquitted on one count of sexual assault and attempting sexual activity with a child.

Both offenders were mandated to register as sex offenders for life post-conviction. The case drew public attention, with MP Peter Kyle vowing to probe potential failures in child protection services, declaring, 'If these young girls have been exhibiting behaviour that was picked up by any of our services or any other individuals and wasn't acted upon we need to know that.' Coverage by BBC News, drawing from Sussex Police and court records, highlights the gravity of child sexual exploitation in the area.