Crawley child rape case dropped

Three men and three boys have been cleared of charges relating to child sexual exploitation in Crawley.

The six had denied 11 counts of rape, four of sexual activity with a child and one of supplying a class B drug between October 2013 and February 2014.

Automatic not guilty verdicts were passed at Hove Crown Court after the prosecution offered no evidence.

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A spokesman said: “The CPS keeps all its cases under constant review and this includes during a trial.

“In this particular case, new information was brought to our attention and, as a result of that, we decided there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”

Guilliam Augustin, 18, a student, of Sunningdale Court, Brighton Road, Southgate; Andrew Rose, 19, a cleaner, of Sorrel Close, Broadfield; Louis Volfrin, 25, a cleaner, of Eddington Hill, Broadfield; and three boys, two aged 17 and one aged 16, all from Crawley. appeared in custody at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on March 28 2015.

On March 26 2015, Crawley detectives executed search warrants at several addresses, and the arrests were made during the same day. The operation was supported by officers and staff from other areas in Sussex.

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A Sussex Police spokesman said the charges followed an investigation into allegations received the month before that between October 2013 and February 2014, two girls were victims of sexual offences.

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