Chichester paedophile who attempted to meet a young girl for sex is jailed

A Chichester man has been sentenced after attempting to meet a young girl for sex, police have confirmed.
Stuart Hope-Kirk, 55. Sussex Police pictureStuart Hope-Kirk, 55. Sussex Police picture
Stuart Hope-Kirk, 55. Sussex Police picture

Stuart Hope-Kirk, 55, unemployed, of Lennox Avenue, Chichester, was sentenced to a total of six years imprisonment when he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today, Monday, October 16.

He admitted attempting to incite a girl under the age of 13 into sexual activity, and attempting to make a girl under the age of 13 watch a sexual act, police said.

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For the two offences he received sentences of five years for each, to run concurrently.

He also received an additional one-year sentence for breaching a suspended sentence imposed at Lewes Crown Court in 2015 for a fraud offence, Sussex Police said in a statement.

Detective Constable Jon Tizzard said: “Hope-Kirk will be a registered sex offender for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention to last until further notice, severely restricting his access to children and computers.

“He was arrested in Chichester on August 16 after officers were called to Spitalfield Lane where he had gone to meet what he thought was a 11-year-old girl he had met via the internet.

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“In fact he was met by a group of adults, who contacted the police.”

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