Man jailed for child sex offences in Crawley

Eden Eustice, 33, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Hove Trial Centre today (Monday March 21).

He had pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, three counts of sexually touching a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to witness a sexual act, and sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.

The court heard that the offences were committed in Crawley.

Jeffrey Lamb, representing Eustice, said: “What comes across in his letter [to the judge] I hope is profound remorse for what he’s done.

“He’s a man of previously good character.

“There’s nothing realistically to say on his behalf, other than his guilty plea.

“He knows that only a prison sentence is coming today.”

Judge David Rennie commented: “His distorted view of things had [the first victim] making him do it - it’s a way of blaming the child.

He told Eustice the offences had been ‘absolutely appalling’, committed against children who had an ‘absolute and inalienable’ right to be kept safe.

“Only a long prison sentence can be justified, to punish you for your crimes,” he added.

Judge Rennie approved a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, barring Eustice from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 without the permission of a parent or guardian who had been approved by social services and was aware of his criminal record.

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