MICHAEL MANION SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR RAPE IN EAST SUSSEX
A man identified as Michael Manion has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term following his conviction for multiple counts of sexual assault in East Sussex.The sentencing took place at Hove Crown Court on a recent Monday, bringing closure to a lengthy legal process involving serious allegations.
Manion, aged 22 and unemployed, residing at Nutley Place in Hove, had previously been convicted of a separate offense in September of the previous year.
His latest conviction concerns three separate counts of raping a nine-year-old girl, offenses committed between July 2009 and August 2010.
These crimes involved the painful violation of a young child during a period spanning over a year and a month, highlighting a prolonged pattern of abuse.
The court found him guilty after a re-trial, confirming his involvement in these severe crimes.
In addition to his sentences for the offenses against the nine-year-old girl, Manion was also convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl in November 2010 while she was asleep.
This case had been previously adjudicated, leading to another conviction in September of the year before.
For the crimes linked to the nine-year-old victim, Manion received a sentence of 54 months (which is four and a half years) on each of the three counts.
These sentences are to run concurrently, meaning that they will be served at the same time.
Furthermore, he received a separate 30-month sentence for the attack involving the 16-year-old girl.
The court also ordered that Manion be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a legal measure designed to restrict his activities and interactions with girls and young women, thereby attempting to prevent further harm.
Additionally, Michael Manion is now classified as a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, a designation that entails ongoing monitoring and registration requirements.
Detective Constable Stewart Cameron, from the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit, commented on the case, emphasizing the bravery of the victims.
He stated, “Both victims showed courage in standing up in court and giving their evidence of what Manion did to them.” He also highlighted the challenges faced in reporting such crimes, noting, “The offences weren't reported at once, with both victims coming forward independently at different times in 2013 and 2015.
Despite this, two separate juries have found him guilty of raping vulnerable females.” Cameron concluded by reaffirming the importance of reporting sexual offenses, regardless of how much time has passed since the incident.
“Regardless of how long ago an assault was, anyone who reports incidents of this type to us will be supported and we will investigate,” he assured.
