Man jailed for grooming and raping girl, 14, in Brighton

A man has been jailed for grooming and raping a 14-year-old girl in Brighton and elsewhere in Sussex from 2022 to 2024.

Mark Rowley, 52, of Anna Sewell Way, Chichester, raped the schoolgirl several times and would beat her if she resisted.

Rowley also verbally abused the girl, leaving her in fear of doing something that would make him angry, Brighton Crown Court was told.

He made the victim believe that they were in a relationship and he persuaded her to send him explicit photographs of herself, buying her vapes and alcoholic drinks from shops in Portslade.

The judge who jailed Rowley for 15 years, Recorder Tom Nicholson Pratt, called it a two-year association, adding: “I’m not going to call it a relationship.”

He imposed an indefinite restraining order on Rowley and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), saying that the age gap was more than 30 years, adding: “You knew her age from the outset.”

The judge said: “You would buy her alcohol, tobacco and vapes.

“Regularly during sex you would choke her and slap her. There were times when you forced intercourse on her by holding her down.”

He said that Rowley had used physical violence to get his way, adding: “You hit her arms and you hit her in the stomach.”

Rowley had shown “classic controlling behaviour”, the judge said.

The girl herself, now 19, told the court that, before Rowley groomed her, she was “inexperienced and had never even kissed anyone … I was just an innocent child”.

She started drinking alcohol with Rowley, withdrew from her friends and stopped going to school, adding: “I was waking in the early hours and drinking vodka to cope. I can’t believe how much I drank as a 14-year-old.”

She said that she “felt scared and intimidated” throughout the two years and said: “I now find it hard to trust people.”

As a result of what happened, she was “damaged psychologically and emotionally”, and she added: “I will never get my teenage years back again.”

At the sentencing hearing, Ryan Richter, prosecuting, said that Rowley had 19 convictions for 34 offences although none of the were recent and this was the first time that he had been convicted of sexual offences.

Mr Richter, standing in for trial counsel Beverly Cripps, said that Rowley’s behaviour was aggravated by his violent behaviour whenever the girl tried to end the association.

Jonathan Ray, defending, said: “The defendant expressed remorse.”

Sussex Police said that details of the abuse surfaced when the girl’s mother spoke to her school in February. Five days later Rowley was arrested.

He was charged the next day with rape and other sexual offences. He denied rape but admitted two less serious sexual offences as well as meeting a child for sex after grooming.

A jury at Brighton Crown Court convicted Rowley of two counts of rape – one of them involving rape on several occasions – at the end of a five-day trial on Friday 21 August.

On Monday (14 September), Recorder Nicholson Pratt jailed Rowley for 15 years.

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Constable Dan Bentley, said: “In this case, Mark Rowley saw an opportunity to exploit, manipulate and use the victim for his own sexual gratification.

“Rowley’s actions have had a significant and lasting impact on the victim who has shown immense courage throughout what has undoubtedly been an extremely difficult and distressing process.

“The victim has been supported by specialist officers throughout the investigation and we commend her bravery in coming forward and supporting the investigation at every step.

“Now Rowley has been sentenced, we hope this outcome reinforces the message that reports of sexual offending will be listened to, will be supported and will be taken seriously.”

Sussex Police added: “If you have anything to report to police, you can do this online, by calling 101 or, in an emergency, always dial 999.”