ADRIAN STONE OF ISLE OF WIGHT SENTENCED TO 4 YEARS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON UNDERAGE GIRL

Adrian Stone, a resident of Newport on the Isle of Wight, has been sentenced to a four-year prison term after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl. The case has drawn significant attention due to the nature of the offenses and the prior restrictions placed on Stone due to his previous convictions.

The incident dates back to early September when Stone, who resides on Horsebridge Hill in Newport, initiated contact with a girl he knew to be under 16 years old. He reached out to her unexpectedly through messages, suggesting they go fishing together, a seemingly innocent activity that would later take a darker turn. The girl, whose age was under the legal threshold, agreed to meet.

On September 17th, Stone picked up the girl in his vehicle and took her for a drive. This outing was conducted without the supervision or knowledge of her parents, which was a clear violation of the restrictions placed upon him. At the time, Stone was under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), a legal measure imposed following a previous sexual offense conviction. This order explicitly prohibited him from having any unsupervised contact with girls under 16 unless the child's parent was informed and had given consent.

During the drive, Stone drove the girl to a secluded area near the River Medina. It was here that he committed a sexual assault against her. After the assault, he drove her back home but refused to let her exit the vehicle until she hugged him. Following this, he kissed her on the cheek, an act that further compounded the misconduct.

In the aftermath of the incident, Stone continued to communicate with the girl through messages. The girl eventually confided in friends and family about the messages and the assault, which led to police involvement. When questioned, Stone initially denied all allegations during police interviews. However, he later admitted to lying about the messages but continued to deny the sexual assault. It was only when he appeared in court that he fully admitted to the offenses.

In court proceedings at the Isle of Wight Crown Court in January, the 58-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and one count of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Additionally, in November of the previous year, Stone had admitted to engaging in sexual communications with a minor.

During the sentencing hearing this week, the court sentenced Stone to four years in prison. An extended license period of four years was also imposed, meaning he will be under supervision for an extended period after his release. Despite breaching his previous SHPO, he was issued a new order and a restraining order to prevent further contact with the victim.

DC Sophie Asher, who led the investigation, commented on the case: “Stone knowingly and willingly pursued contact with this young girl, taking her to a secluded location without her family’s knowledge or consent to commit this heinous act. This was a calculated course of conduct that highlights the significant risk he poses to children. I want to commend the bravery of the victim, who showed remarkable courage in disclosing what happened. Thanks to her bravery, a dangerous individual has now been held accountable.”