OLIVER STURMAN SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CRAWLEY AND SOUTHAMPTON
A teenager from Crawley has been handed a substantial prison sentence of five and a half years after being convicted of multiple serious sex offences involving children as young as 11 years old.The individual, identified as Oliver Sturman, aged 19, formerly residing on Knighton Close in Crawley, was found guilty of a series of disturbing crimes that included incitement to sexual activity and the creation and possession of indecent images of minors.
Sturman faced allegations involving seven counts of attempting to persuade an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual acts.
In addition, he admitted to causing a child to view a sexual act via webcam, a criminal offence that underscores the grotesque nature of his misconduct.
His offences did not only involve one victim but extended to another girl aged 12, who resides outside Sussex, to whom he also sent indecent messages and attempted to coerce into sexual activities.
Further, the court heard that Sturman was responsible for ten separate offences related to the online collection and storage of indecent images involving other girls.
These images were obtained through webcam interactions, and his actions demonstrated a disturbing pattern of premeditated attempts to exploit minors through digital means.
The charges against him also included sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl and inciting her to undergo sexual acts by penetration.
Both of these offences occurred while he was on bail, after moving from Sussex to Southampton, specifically to Newton Road.
During his time living in Hampshire, Sturman continued his online predatory behaviour by inciting other girls under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activities.
He pleaded guilty to these offences in court.
All victims were contacted via online platforms, where they received explicit and indecent messages designed to facilitate sexual acts.
The online evidence was crucial in establishing the extent of Sturman’s criminal conduct.
The case was brought before Southampton Crown Court on January 9, where Sturman was sentenced to a term of five and a half years in prison.
Additionally, the court ordered him to serve a further four and a half years on extended release license.
As part of his post-conviction restrictions, Sturman is required to register as a sex offender for life and is subject to a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) that will remain in place for 12 years.
This order severely restricts his access to young girls and computers to prevent reoffending.
Detective Constable Chris Smith, a member of Sussex Police’s paedophile online investigation team (POLIT), emphasized the seriousness of Sturman’s actions: "It became clear that he had for some time been systematically approaching teenage girls online and coercing them into performing indecent acts for his enjoyment and sexual gratification, threatening to tell their friends if they refused to co-operate.
However, this behaviour came to our notice, and we moved swiftly to arrest him and put a stop to his vicious and unpleasant activities." Following his arrest in May last year, Sturman was granted bail and subsequently moved to live in Hampshire.
Despite relocating, he continued his criminal activities online by inciting underage girls to engage in sexual acts and sending obscene messages with the intent of facilitating sexual activity.
The investigation uncovered evidence on his seized computer of all his offending behaviour.
DC Smith added: "When we arrested him and seized his computer, we discovered evidence of all the other offences.
This case underscores the importance of vigilance for parents and young people when engaging online.
We advise everyone to follow safety guidelines and be cautious of online interactions.
For more information on how to keep young people safe on the internet, visit sussex.police.uk and search for computers and the internet." Sturman’s case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of proactive measures to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.
