West Sussex social worker charged with sexual offences involving children

Police said an investigation was launched on March 3 when sexual messages were found on a teenage girl’s Snapchat account between her and an adult man.

Sussex Police said Thomas Weller, 33, from the Horsham area, was identified as a suspect and subsequently arrested on 24 March.

Weller has now been charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and three counts of unauthorised computer access with intent to commit other offences, police confirmed.

Sussex Police said he was remanded in custody at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (April 13).

He will next appear at Lewes Crown Court on May 13, police added.