UAE MAN JAILED FOR SEX CRIMES AGAINST TEEN IN BRIGHTON

A man who had traveled from the United Arab Emirates to the UK to commit sexual offences against a teenage girl has been sentenced to jail. Hamdan Alshamsi, aged 21, was involved in contact with the girl online and booked a hotel in Brighton upon arriving in the UK, according to Sussex Police. The court was informed that the victim, whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, left her home to meet Alshamsi, knowing her age. During a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, Alshamsi was sentenced to six years in prison for sex offences.Alshamsi, who has no fixed address, reserved a hotel room on Brighton seafront on December 27 of the previous year. The girl attended the hotel later that day, where he engaged in sexual activity with her, police said. Officers searched the seafront for hours and eventually located her wandering in the hotel. They also found Alshamsi in the spa area of the hotel and arrested him. In his room, police discovered condoms and vodka he had purchased. The victim's family reported that the sexual offences had a “long-lasting impact on her.”Detective Inspector Sean Booth commented: "This was a distressing case which showed the lengths Alshamsi was prepared to go to engage in sexual activity with a young teenage girl. She was vulnerable, and he exploited her trust."Earlier in the proceedings, Alshamsi admitted to three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with the victim.