A Havant Paedophile, John William Hart, has received a 23-year prison sentence following his conviction for historical sexual abuse and rape.
John William Hart, 70, of Warsash Close, Havant, perpetrated the acts against a girl aged between 12 and 14.
A court was informed that the instances occurred in the early 2000s.
During this period, it was reported that John William Hart had issued threats to the girl to deter her from reporting him.
Subsequent to a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court in 2023, John William Hart was found guilty by a jury on 16 counts.
These were:
- three counts of indecent assault
- four of assault by penetration
- four of sexual assault
- two counts of rape
- one of attempted rape
- one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
- and one of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
Appearing again at Portsmouth Crown Court, John William Hart was jailed for 23 years and handed a sexual harm prevention order for life.
Investigating officer DC Leanne Boyd said: “I want to commend the woman who came forward and had the strength to report these matters to us.
“While no sentence will ever take away what John William Hart did, I hope it provides her some closure on these matters.
“Her courage has allowed us to conduct a thorough investigation and has ultimately led to this offender being jailed.
“We are committed to supporting the survivors of rape and sexual assault and will do all we can to identify offenders and put them before the courts.
“I would encourage anyone has been victim of child sexual abuse, or if they know someone who has been impacted by child sexual abuse, to contact police on 101. They can speak with our specialist officers with confidence.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this website, 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.