YATELEY MAN MICHAEL GIBBONS SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IN HAMPSHIRE AND BERKSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Michael Gibbons, a 27-year-old man from Yateley, Hampshire, has been convicted and sentenced for a series of heinous child sexual offenses committed over several years. The crimes, which spanned from 2009 to 2016, involved the abuse of seven young children, some as young as four years old, across various locations including Hampshire and Berkshire.

Gibbons, who was employed as a play centre worker at Farnborough Leisure Centre, was found guilty in April of nine sexual assaults. These included two incidents at the leisure centre, where he was working at the time. His offenses extended beyond his employment, with additional allegations involving other locations in the region. The court heard that Gibbons also admitted to one count of rape and six other sexual offenses, which included four counts of inciting children to engage in sexual activity and two attempted sexual assaults.

His arrest came in December after he voluntarily confided in the mental health charity Mind about his crimes. During phone conversations with the charity, Gibbons admitted to sexually touching two children at the holiday play scheme, although these crimes were never officially reported to the police at the time. The details of his confessions emerged during the investigation, revealing a disturbing pattern of abuse.

One young victim described how her