June 2019 Child sex offender to face custodial sentence A man who sexually assaulted a child has been given an immediate custodial sentence after a ruling by the Court of Appeal. Louis Mireles, 21, put his hand down a child’s trousers and touched their genitals, telling them to keep it a secret. Mireles was given a community sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court on 29 March. The sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it was unduly lenient. Judges at the Court of Appeal agreed and increased the original sentence to a custodial sentence of 2 years 6 months. After the hearing, the Solicitor General Lucy Frazer QC MP said: “Mireles was aware of his feelings towards children yet still sought contact – committing a crime severe enough to warrant a custodial sentence. The Court of Appeal agrees that his punishment was too lenient and the offender will now be imprisoned.”