Man jailed for sexual assaults on youngsters

Giovani Giacopazzi (50), of Victoria Drive committed several offences against three children '“ a boy and two girls '“ who were all under the age of 16 during the early 1990s.

Chichester Crown Court heard that Giacopazzi touched the private parts of a young girl as he playfully swung her round and on another occasion licked the girl's private parts as she lay on a bed.

On another occasion she was asked to put her hands on his private parts.

Another female victim was asked to perform a sexual act on Giacopazzi while he was in his downstairs toilet and on another occasion she recalled being asked into his bedroom and told to perform a sexual act on him.

The victims went to the police last August and Giacopazzi was arrested. The court heard that while he was on bail he was taken to hospital after cutting his wrists and throat in a suicide bid.

Prosecutor Mike Newbold said that Giacopazzi made comments to his wife that he was '˜guilty as charged'.

Adrian Fleming, defending, said that Giacopazzi had been living with an ugly secret for many years.

'The fact that Mr Giacopazzi has been able to admit this kind of wrong-doing is a big step in a lengthy road to rehabilitation,' he said.

Giacopazzi pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault against children under 14, two counts of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency and one count of gross indecency with a child.

Judge Anthony Thorpe, sentencing, said that Giacopazzi had taken advantage of his victims and had caused them and their families great hurt.

'Offences of sexual depravity against children are always so serious that neither a fine alone nor a community sentence can be justified for them. They can only require custodial sentences,' he said.

Giacopazzi was also banned from working with children and will now be listed on the sex offenders register for life.