MARTIN CLEVERLY BOGNOR REGIS AND CROWBOROUGH CHILD ABUSER SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS

In a significant case brought before Chichester Crown Court, Martin Cleverly, a 45-year-old man from Glamis Street, Bognor Regis, was handed a six-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a series of serious sexual offences involving young boys. The charges against Cleverly encompassed a total of 26 separate offences, highlighting a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior spanning several years and locations.

During the proceedings on Friday, August 3, 2012, Cleverly appeared on bail, having previously admitted guilt at an earlier hearing. The court was informed that his crimes included three counts of unlawful sexual activity with a boy aged 14 in Bognor Regis during 2009 and 2010. Additionally, he was convicted of seven offences related to indecent assaults on two boys under the age of 14 in the Crowborough area of East Sussex, with these incidents occurring between 1993 and 1995.

The offences also involved the creation and distribution of indecent images of children. Specifically, Cleverly was responsible for five counts of producing such images and eleven counts of distributing them. Importantly, none of these images involved physical abuse, and authorities believe that none of the images depict children from Sussex, indicating that the material may have originated elsewhere.

The investigation that uncovered Cleverly’s crimes was spearheaded by the Sussex Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Unit (POLIT). The police executed a search warrant at Cleverly’s residence in November 2010, where they discovered computers containing evidence of his internet-based offences. Further forensic analysis and tracing of documents led investigators to identify and locate the victims in Bognor Regis and Crowborough.

Detective Constable Chris Smith commented on the case, expressing admiration for the victims’ willingness to testify. He noted, “We admired the way that all three were prepared to give evidence against him, but fortunately they did not have to do so because of his guilty pleas.” He emphasized the police’s commitment to pursuing allegations of sexual and physical abuse, regardless of how much time has passed. Detective Smith also urged anyone with additional information about Cleverly, especially those who knew him before 2009 and may have encountered him under various aliases, to come forward. He reassured the public that all communications could be made confidentially by calling Sussex Police on 101 and requesting extension 59262.