Man jailed for four years for pier sexual assault

Reginald Collins, 62, of Freehold Street, Shoreham, was jailed on Monday for four years.

He pleaded guilty at Chichester Crown Court to one count of sexual assault and one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

The offences took place between April 1 and May 22 this year, while the boy, and Collins, were fishing.

Collins had befriended the boy, who was fishing on the pier, kept contacting him afterwards, and carried out a sexual assault on him in May.

The boy’s mother was alerted to what was happening after she checked his phone following what she believed to be strange behaviour from her son.

For the full story, pick up a copy of this week’s Herald, out tomorrow.