ANTHONY GILBERT, CRAWLEY PAEDOPHILE, SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE

In a chilling case that has shocked the community of Crawley, Anthony Gilbert, a man with a disturbing history of child abuse spanning over thirty years, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous crimes. The court proceedings revealed a catalogue of depravity that left no doubt about the severity of his offenses.

Gilbert, aged 68, pleaded guilty to a total of 68 counts related to sexual abuse against children, including charges of rape, indecent assault, and the production of indecent images. His actions, which involved photographing himself while abusing children as young as 18 months old, have been described by the presiding judge, His Honour Judge Michael Lawson QC, as a case of unbounded depravity. During the sentencing, the judge emphasized the gravity of Gilbert’s crimes, stating, “The catalogue of depravity is unbounded.”

As Gilbert was led from the courtroom, relatives of his victims expressed their outrage and grief, shouting “Rot in hell” in a display of their anger and pain. The police investigation uncovered a disturbing trove of evidence, including 431 indecent images stored on Gilbert’s computer. These images comprised photographs of children and self-produced images of Gilbert abusing children, some of which were Polaroids dating back to 1970, which had been scanned into his digital device.

In 2005, Gilbert moved into a flat on Southgate Drive in Crawley, conveniently located within walking distance of St Francis of Assisi Primary School and Southgate Primary School. During the police raid, officers seized his digital camera and discovered photographs apparently taken from inside his flat, including images of pupils from nearby schools, raising further concerns about his predatory behavior.

At Lewes Crown Court, sitting in Brighton, Gilbert faced 70 charges. Throughout the proceedings, he maintained a stoic demeanor, sitting with his head bowed and answering “Guilty” to each charge, except for two counts which he denied; these were ordered to be kept on file by Judge Lawson. The court heard that Gilbert’s actions had caused immeasurable harm to his victims and their families.

DC Liz Hawkins, a member of the Crawley child protection team, commented on the case, stating, “Life was the only fair sentence to pass. This is probably one of the most serious cases we have had at Crawley. Now we can concentrate on helping the victims and their families to heal.”

One of Gilbert’s victims, who remains unidentified, expressed relief at the verdict, saying, “I am pleased with the sentence. Now I have got a chance to move on and rebuild.” The case has left a lasting impact on the community, highlighting the importance of vigilance and the need to protect vulnerable children from predators like Gilbert.