Two Hove men face jail after being convicted of raping and sexually assaulting under-age girls.
Osmon Koroma, a labourer, 31, of Norton Road, Hove, and Max N’Gasa, a gardener, 25, of Cranmer Avenue, Hove, were found guilty after a six-week trial at Lewes Crown Court.
The pair sexually exploited 12 teenage girls over four years and were convicted of 18 offences.
Judge Jeremy Gold ordered that the men be held in prison on remand while awaiting sentence on Tuesday 7 June.
Koroma was convicted of eight offences against five girls. They were one rape, two sexual assaults and five counts of sexual activity with a child.
N’Gasa was convicted of ten offences against seven girls. They were two counts of rape and eight counts of sexual activity with a child.
N’Gasa was found not guilty of one sexual assault and one count of trying to engage in sexual activity with a child.
All the offences were committed in Littlehampton between dates in 2010 and 2014 and in each case the jury’s verdict was unanimous. The court was told how the pair groomed their victims who were aged 13 to 15 at the time of the abuse.
The case followed an intelligence-led investigation by detectives from the Sussex Police Safeguarding Investigation Unit (SIU), working with partners including social workers from West Sussex County Council Children’s Services Department.
Police arrested Koroma and N’Gasa on Thursday 12 March last year. The two men were charged on Monday 12 October.
Detective Chief Inspector Miles Ockwell said: “Young girls were sexually abused by one or other of these defendants and sometimes by both.
“The evidence centred around a flat above a parade of shops in Wick Parade, Littlehampton. Osmon Koroma lived there during those years and Max N’Gasa was his friend and a frequent visitor there.
“Both men befriended young schoolgirls who would frequent the shopping parade, groomed them and ultimately exploited them by requesting sexual acts in return for purchasing cigarettes and alcohol on their behalf.
“Some of the victims knew each other but others did not, as this offending went on with numerous children over four years.
“Such was the level of grooming that took place, many of the girls considered that they were in relationships with the pair, despite the obvious significant age gap between them.
“Both men, when arrested and interviewed, made complete denials saying that they had never met and did not know the victims and they have maintained this position throughout the trial.
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