Eastbourne woman jailed for sexually exploiting vulnerable boy

An Eastbourne woman has been sent to prison after being convicted of exploiting a vulnerable teenage boy for sexual purposes, following a Sussex Police investigation.

Carole Taylor, 35, of Seaside Road, was sentenced to a total of five years imprisonment at Brighton Crown Court on Friday 14 January, having been convicted in December after a six-day trial at Chichester Crown Court of two counts of sexual activity with a child, of meeting a child following sexual grooming, and sexual communication with a child.

She will be a registered sex offender for life.
Detective Sergeant Michaela Haddock of the East Sussex Safeguarding investigations Unit said; "The offences were committed when Taylor was aged between 32 and 33. The court heard that she had a sexual relationship with a highly vulnerably 15-year-old boy who was known to her. She groomed him via mobile phone messages for several weeks before meeting him on two occasions for sex.

“This was a distressing case in which this boy was groomed and sexually exploited by somebody who he looked up to and felt that he could trust. His extraordinary bravery in providing evidence in this case is admirable and no doubt played a vital part in the jury returning the unanimous verdict that they did.

"The sentence reflects the seriousness of the irreparable impact that Taylor’s behaviour has had on this child but I hope that it will now allow him to move forward positively with his life.

"All reports of the abuse of children are taken extremely seriously and anyone with information about any such offending can contact us at any time and arrange to talk in confidence to our investigators."

For further information on reporting child abuse and the support that us available, see the Sussex Police website.