A Paedophile child molester from Tunbridge Wells, Brian Bissell, has been incarcerated for a series of acts perpetrated over 50 years ago.
From the late 1960s until the early 1970s, Brian Bissell consistently perpetrated abuse on a girl beginning at the age of 10.
Brian Bissell occasionally approached the victim within her residence by accessing her bedroom window.
Additional abuse occurred at a residence on Ravenswood Avenue and within his vehicle. Brian Bissell subsequently sexually assaulted the girl after transporting her to a secluded area in Brokes Wood.
An intricate and protracted inquiry into offences commenced in 2018, and following Brian Bissell’s denial of any misconduct, a preliminary trial was conducted at Maidstone Crown Court in 2023.
A jury could not reach a consensus on a decision, resulting in Brian Bissell being acquitted of charges related to four additional purported victims of abuse.
A retrial was mandated for charges associated with the allegations involving one victim for which verdicts had not been rendered.
This occurred at Maidstone Crown Court in March 2025, resulting in Brian Bissell’s conviction on five charges of rape.
On 17 April 2025, Brian Bissell, 82, of Sandhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment. He was also made the subject of an extended licence period of a year.
Never too late to report abuse
Detective Constable Hannah Crittenden said:
‘Brian Bissell abused the trust of both his young victim and her parents in the worst possible way. He quickly exerted control over a vulnerable child to satisfy his abhorrent desires, making her feel the abuse was normal and ensuring her compliance so she was too terrified to tell anyone.
‘His actions have had a lasting and profound impact upon many aspects of the victim’s life, who has continued to live in fear of his presence until he was remanded in custody.
‘Brian Bissell has clearly demonstrated the threat he poses to children, having committed appalling and repeated offences over many years. I do hope this sentence will at least provide some comfort and reassurance to all those who have been connected to our investigations.
‘It is never too late to report any sexual offence and I commend the bravery of any victim that does so. We have a team of specialist officers who work relentlessly to ensure that offenders like Brian Bissell do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago. We will always treat any information with the upmost confidence and sensitivity’.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.