Here we take a look at some of the criminals locked up during the final four months of 2025.
All of the information below comes from either Sussex Police or our reporters attending court in person.
37. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A Heathfield man found with thousands of illicit pictures has become one of the first in the county to be sentenced for creating AI-generated child sexual abuse material. James Castell, 40, of High Street in Heathfield, came to the attention of Sussex Police in October 2024, when he was linked to the online distribution of an indecent image of a child. The image appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence (AI). Shortly after, Castell was arrested by officers from the force’s Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT), who searched his home and seized a number of digital devices. The devices were found to contain over 3,800 indecent images of children, including 640 of the most serious, Category A images. Indecent images in Category A depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality and/or sadism. The date range of the images stretched as far back as 2016. AI software was also found that uses text to generate images, alongside evidence that Castell was responsible for distributing the initial AI indecent image and searches online that indicated a sexual interest in children. Castell was subsequently charged with three counts of possession of an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child, possession of a prohibited image of a child and distributing an indecent/pseudo-photograph of a child. He appeared at Hastings Magistrates' Court on October 8, where he pleaded guilty to all charges. At Lewes Crown Court on December 19, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly controlling his use of digital devices and access to children. He will also be a registered sex offender for ten years, and order to complete rehabilitation activity and 240 hours of community work. Photo: Sussex Police
38. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A former University of Sussex student who raped or sexually assaulted five women, including four fellow students, has been jailed. Alex Patel-Wills, 26, of Grove Road in Barnet, was sentenced to 25 years at Lewes Crown Court on December 19. Sussex Police launched an investigation after a woman reported being raped by Patel-Wills at a property in Brighton on October 31, 2021. The victim was supported by specialist officers while Patel-Wills was arrested on suspicion of rape shortly after. Over the following weeks, further enquiries identified four more victims spanning several years from 2018 to 2021. A woman in her then-late teens, who was known to Patel-Wills, reported being raped and sexually abused by him on multiple occasions in Brighton between 2018 and 2019. At around the same time, a woman also in her late teens was raped by Patel-Wills at a property in London while in a vulnerable state. Two more women reported being raped in 2020 - in May, 2020, Patel-Wills sexually assaulted a woman at a property on campus in and, four months later, raped another woman at his home in Brighton. He was subsequently charged with five counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and two counts of assault by penetration, and remanded in custody. At Lewes Crown Court on October 16, the jury found Patel-Wills guilty of offences relating to every victim, namely four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by penetration. He was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration. Patel-Wills’ sentence will be served as 19 years in custody, with a further six on extended licence. Photo: Sussex Police
39. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
Serial toothbrush and Jellycat shoplifter, Jason Thorpe, has been jailed for 50 weeks. Between August 9 and October 28, the 54-year-old, of no fixed address, stole high-value electric toothbrushes, Jellycat soft toys, books, candles, and other goods in a series of offences targeting shops in Portslade, Hove and central Brighton. Thorpe made no attempt to pay when he entered Tesco in Portslade on August 9 and stole a £160 electric toothbrush. He appeared to favour this particular item, returning to several supermarkets throughout August and taking many similar products from the shelves. Thorpe also entered Bert’s Homestore in Hove on August 21, August 23 and September 14, each time leaving with a collection of expensive Jellycat toys without paying. Further incidents were reported in October, including the theft of a number of candles from the Neptune showroom in Hove, and the theft of health products from Holland & Barrett in Brighton. Officers investigating the series identified Thorpe as the suspect, and he was arrested on November 27. He was charged the following day with 11 counts of theft from a shop and appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on November 29, where he pleaded guilty on all counts. Thorpe was sentenced the same day to 50 weeks in prison. Photo: Sussex Police
40. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A prolific thief who targeted shops in Burgess Hill and Crowborough has been sentenced. Mark Vine committed shop thefts at stores in the towns between October and December. His thefts amounted to hundreds of pounds worth of goods taken. Staff at stores were abused by the 48-year-old, who admitted 19 charges when he appeared for sentencing at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on December 8. Vine, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 weeks. The court was told how he was rough-sleeping in the Mid Sussex area, and entered shops in Burgess Hill. Vine entered the Waitrose store in Crowborough where he stole meat and alcoholic spirits on five occasions in October. He also entered the stores including Boots, Bodel Bros Ltd, Lidl, and Waitrose in Burgess Hill. Photo: Sussex Police