CHARLES OKIY

February 2023: A man has been sentenced to five years in prison following the sexual assault of a teenage girl in Fratton, Portsmouth, last summer.

Charles Okiy, 38, of New Road East, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday (24 February) having been found guilty of sexual assault by a jury at the same court in January.

On Sunday 17 July 2022 the victim, who is now 17 but was 16-years-old at the time of the assault, was walking along St.

Mary’s Road when she was approached by a man unknown to her at around 10pm.

The court heard how the man crossed the road towards her near the footbridge over the railway tracks.

He then put his arm around her and began touching her inappropriately over her clothing, asking how old she was.

He attempted to kiss her and further sexually assaulted her on the footbridge.

The victim managed to get away and take a photo of the man on her phone before running home.

Investigating officers were able to locate CCTV imagery of the suspect and appeal to the public for information, which led to the arrest of Okiy the following Wednesday (20 July).

Okiy was charged with four counts of sexual assault by touching and one count of assault by digital penetration.

He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges and a trial began at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 9 January this year, where he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by touching.

On Monday 16 January, the jury found Okiy guilty of the further three counts of sexual assault by touching and the one count of assault by digital penetration.

He has now been sentenced to five years in prison.