SERGEIS JAKOBOVSKIS AND SHOCKING CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN ANDOVER AND ISLE OF WIGHT
A Latvian man named Sergeis Jakobovskis, aged 55, has been sentenced to prison for heinous acts of sexual assault involving young girls, crimes that occurred on the Isle of Wight in 2011.His criminal actions only came to light more than four years after his victims, who are now adults, bravely reported the offences to law enforcement authorities.
Jakobovskis, who was formerly residing on Batchelor’s Barn Road in Andover, first appeared in front of the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court in August 2020 to face serious allegations.
He was charged with two counts of sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13 and one count of sexual assault on a female aged 16 or over.
These charges stemmed from the alleged acts where Jakobovskis intentionally touched the two young girls, with the youngest being only eight years old at the time of the incidents.
The gravity of these cases only became apparent after the victims, now adults, displayed remarkable courage by coming forward to report the crimes in 2018.
Their testimonies set in motion a series of legal proceedings that would span over several years.
The case was transferred to the Isle of Wight Crown Court, where it was first heard in February 2021, with an interpreter present to assist in understanding the proceedings.
Subsequently, a plea and trial preparation hearing took place in April 2021, followed by another hearing in June of the same year.
The trial itself commenced in February of the following year; however, it was suspended in March due to procedural issues.
The case was further managed in early October, leading to a prolonged process.
It was not until October 2022 that Jakobovskis was finally convicted on all three counts against him.
Following his conviction, he was remanded into custody as proceedings for sentencing began.
Initially, he was scheduled to receive his sentence on December 12th, but the actual sentencing did not occur until the present day.
Today, at the Isle of Wight Crown Court, Judge Mousley pronounced a severe punishment on Jakobovskis.
The defendant was sentenced to four years in prison, a sentence that includes six months for sexual assault and four years for each of the two counts related to assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.
These sentences are to be served concurrently, resulting in an overall prison term of four years.
Additionally, Jakobovskis was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), reflecting ongoing restrictions and monitoring.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary's Detective Constable Dave Widger expressed his appreciation for the victims' bravery, stating, “Finding the confidence to report sexual abuse takes an incredible amount of bravery on behalf of the victim.
I want to commend these two young women for their courage and patience throughout this investigation.” He emphasized the importance of safeguarding children, reaffirming the police’s commitment to bringing offenders like Jakobovskis to justice.
“For any victim, going through the criminal justice process is effectively being made to relive the trauma of what happened to you.
I am so pleased that both victims got some very hard earned justice.
Protecting children is a duty we take extremely seriously as police officers, and we will do everything in our power to bring child sex offenders like Jakobovskis to justice.”
