A man has been jailed for grooming two under-age girls and engaging in sexual activity with one of them.
Jack Laingchild, 36, of Elm Cottages, Pond Lane, Worthing, was charged with raping one of the girls in Brighton but acquitted by a jury.
He contacted the girls – who were 14 and 15 years old – on social media in 2018 and sent sexual messages and pictures of his penis.
Laingchild went on to meet both girls several times and gave them cannabis before engaging in sexual activity in his car.
Sussex Police said: “Both girls reported the incidents to their parents, who informed the police, and an investigation was launched while both children were safeguarded.
“Laingchild was identified as a suspect and subsequently arrested.”
At Brighton Crown Court, he was convicted of engaging in sexual activity with a child and two counts of engaging in sexual communications with children.
A charge of rape was ordered to lie on the file.
He was jailed for four years at Hove Crown Court by Recorder Patricia Hitchcock on Friday 8 March.
She ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and imposed a “sexual harm prevention order” aimed at reducing his access to and ability to harm children.
Detective Constable Katie Brixey said: “Jack Laingchild showed a calculated plan to groom his victims, isolate them with the offer of illegal drugs and exploit them for his own sexual gratification.
“Thankfully, they had the courage and foresight to report his offending to their parents, who in turn came to the police so they could be safeguarded and Laingchild brought to justice.
“He now faces a period behind bars and is subject to orders designed to stop him causing further harm to young people.”
throw him off the i360
Into the sea or on to the prom?
“engaging in sexual activity”… do you mean rape? It’s rape. Please don’t sanitise such a horrific crime.
Engaging in sexual activity encompasses a broad range of actions that involve sexual contact, such as intercourse, oral sex, fondling, or any other physical interaction with sexual intent.
When a charge of rape is “ordered to lie on the file,” it means that the charge is not actively pursued or prosecuted at that time. Essentially, the legal proceedings regarding that specific charge are suspended indefinitely. The charge is neither dropped nor acquitted, but it remains on file, meaning it could potentially be revisited or reopened in the future if new evidence emerges or circumstances change.
This decision might be made for various reasons. For example, it could occur if there is insufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution, if the victim no longer wishes to pursue the case, or if there are other legal considerations that suggest temporarily shelving the charge.