Man jailed following the sexual assault of a teenage girl in Fratton, Portsmouth
Main article content
A man has been sentenced to five years in prison following the sexual assault of a teenage girl in Fratton, Portsmouth, last summer.
Charles Okiy, 38, of New Road East, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday (24 February) having been found guilty of sexual assault by a jury at the same court in January.
On Sunday 17 July 2022 the victim, who is now 17 but was 16-years-old at the time of the assault, was walking along St. Mary’s Road when she was approached by a man unknown to her at around 10pm.
The court heard how the man crossed the road towards her near the footbridge over the railway tracks. He then put his arm around her and began touching her inappropriately over her clothing, asking how old she was. He attempted to kiss her and further sexually assaulted her on the footbridge. The victim managed to get away and take a photo of the man on her phone before running home.
Investigating officers were able to locate CCTV imagery of the suspect and appeal to the public for information, which led to the arrest of Okiy the following Wednesday (20 July).
Okiy was charged with four counts of sexual assault by touching and one count of assault by digital penetration.
He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges and a trial began at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 9 January this year, where he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by touching.
On Monday 16 January, the jury found Okiy guilty of the further three counts of sexual assault by touching and the one count of assault by digital penetration.
He has now been sentenced to five years in prison.
T/Detective Constable Joshua Seaman of Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Criminal Investigation Department, who led the investigation, said: “We are really pleased with the jury’s verdict and the sentence that has been passed down to Okiy, meaning that he will now face the consequences for this invasive and disturbing crime on a young girl.
“The victim in this case has shown incredible bravery in the face of such a traumatic ordeal and we would like to express our thanks to her and her family for their support throughout our investigation and the court process.
“We fully appreciate the courage and strength it takes to report these incidents, without which we would not secure these outcomes. I hope that this sentence offers a degree of comfort to the victim and goes some way to helping her move on in her life.
“I really hope that this case shows people that Hampshire Constabulary is committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court.”
If you’ve been a victim, please report rape or sexual assault as soon as possible. Even if you’re not 100 percent sure, we’d sooner hear from you so that we can make sure you’re safe. If you’re not ready to talk to the police just yet, that’s ok. There are a range of places to get support, advice and medical help.
You can speak to a number of organisations in confidence and what you tell them won't be shared with the police unless you ask for it to be. For further information go to: