COLIN MONK OF WORTHING SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND INDECENT IMAGES

In a significant case that has sent shockwaves through the Worthing community, 67-year-old Colin Monk, a resident of Howard Street in Worthing, has been sentenced to four years in prison following his conviction on multiple charges related to child sexual offences and the possession of indecent images of children. The sentencing took place at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, June 8, and marks the culmination of a lengthy investigation into Monk's criminal activities.

Monk had previously pleaded guilty to the charges during a prior hearing, which paved the way for the court to impose a comprehensive set of penalties. The court sentenced him to two and a half years for indecent assaults and an additional 18 months for the possession and creation of indecent images of children. These sentences are to run concurrently, meaning Monk will serve the combined term of four years in total. Furthermore, the court issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that will remain in effect for life. This order strictly prohibits Monk from having any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 and imposes severe restrictions on his access to the internet, aiming to prevent any further offences.

In addition to the custodial sentence and the SOPO, Monk is mandated to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from prison. The charges against him include 14 counts related to the making of indecent images of children and four counts concerning the possession of prohibited images. The remaining 22 offences involve indecent assaults committed against two girls under the age of 14, with incidents spanning from 1981 to 1991.

The case was prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service and was the result of an intelligence-led investigation conducted by Sussex Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Unit (POLIT). Detective Sergeant Martin Harmer provided insight into the case, stating, “We acted on intelligence that Colin Monk had been accessing websites showing indecent images of children, many of which were at the most serious levels, over a period of five years up to 2009. During the course of our investigation into these online activities, additional information emerged that linked Monk to physical sexual assaults on two young girls, aged between 4 and 10, between 1981 and 1991.”

Detective Sergeant Harmer emphasized the importance of ongoing police efforts, saying, “Accessing and acquiring indecent images of children from the internet is a grave abuse of children and perpetuates this vile activity. We are committed to following up on intelligence of this nature, and offenders like Monk need to understand that they are not beyond detection. We also pursue allegations of sexual and physical abuse regardless of how much time has passed. Victims are encouraged to speak with experienced detectives in confidence at any time.”