Pulborough Man Jailed For Catalogue Of Rapes And Sexual Assaults Against Young Men And Boys

A Pulborough man who raped and sexually assaulted multiple boys and young men has been jailed.

Ian Elliott, 71, of North Heath near Pulborough, was accused of committing 92 offences against six victims in West Sussex between 1999 and 2021.

Elliott would earn the trust of his victims – who were as young as 16 – and their families.

As a well-known member of the community, Elliott was also the chairman of the local sports association and was involved in local social clubs.

He would then give his victims drugs and alcohol with the intention of stupefying or overpowering them, before subjecting them to rapes and serious sexual assaults.

Many of the attacks were filmed by Elliott himself. Footage was discovered by investigating officers, despite Elliott’s attempts to destroy it, which was used in evidence against him.

SD cards filled with videos of Elliott's offending

He was arrested in September, 2022 and his victims were given specialist support while the investigation continued.

In November, 2022, Elliott was charged and held in custody. He was charged with 92 separate offences, including 13 rapes, three attempted rapes, 13 sexual assaults and 20 counts of voyeurism.

At Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, 2 November, 2023, Elliott pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, 17 counts of voyeurism, eight sexual assaults, four counts of possession of Class A, B and C drugs, one count of causing actual bodily harm and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The guilty pleas related to four victims, aged between 16 and 28 at the time of the offences.

An additional 38 charges will lie on file, and 11 were not put forward by the Crown Prosecution Service but are covered by the sentencing powers given through the other convictions.

At Hove Crown Court on Thursday (February 22), Elliott was sentenced to 18 years in prison, with an additional five years to be spent on licence.

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Passing sentence, HHJ Gold said Elliott had an 'innate sense of superiority' over his victims and had shown 'not a trace of empathy'. 

Elliott referred to himself, and was often referred to, as 'Boss'

HHJ Gold listed Elliott's significant degree of planning, use of intoxicants, betrayal of trust, recording of the offending and attempts to destroy the evidence as aggravating factors, concluding Elliott passed the threshold for dangerousness.

In a statement given to Sussex Police, one of Elliott's victims said:

“Mr Elliott is now in prison because a couple of brave men decided to speak up. If I’ve learned one thing from this case, it’s to go with your instincts and don’t be afraid to speak up if you think abuse is happening.

"Whatever the outcome or however long the outcome takes, don’t let your abuser win. Pick up the phone and report them to the police or at the very least don’t keep it to yourself and tell someone.”

Detective Constable Victoria Ashworth Kirkby, of the Sussex Police’s Complex Abuse Unit, said:

“I cannot commend each of these victims enough for the incredible courage and determination they have shown.

“They deserve immense credit for their strength and resilience, which was crucial in achieving this conviction. I would like to thank them for their support and perseverance throughout this investigation.

“Elliott has been convicted for his crimes but we believe he may have more victims. If you believe you or someone you know may be a victim, please report to us online or via 101, quoting Operation Ridge. You will be believed and supported and we will investigate.

“You can also report offences to Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111 or via their website www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”

Detective Superintendent Miles Ockwell, head of Sussex Police’s Safeguarding Investigations Units, said:

“Today’s sentence means that Ian Elliott will spend a significant amount of the rest of his life in prison.

"This is the only appropriate outcome given the multiple lives he has ruined as a result of his relentless campaign of sexual abuse, hidden behind the façade of a trustworthy pillar of his local community.

"I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the bravery of Elliott’s victims who came forward to help us bring him to justice. They will live with the effects of the horrendous abuse they have suffered for the rest of their lives.

"Today, Elliott had the chance to show genuine remorse to his victims in court. Instead, through his Counsel, despite saying that he acknowledges the harm he has done he sought to pass the blame from himself onto them. Elliott is not sorry for what he did – he is just sorry that he got caught.

"Despite a wide-ranging, complex police investigation, we cannot be sure that there are not other unidentified victims of abuse perpetrated by Elliott and I would encourage anyone who does think that they have been a victim to contact police.”