Chelmsford: Man sentenced to two years for sexual offences

An investigation by our Adult Sexual Abuse Investigation Team (ASAIT) has resulted in a man being jailed for two years.

Jack Harrison, 22 of Beeches Road, Chelmsford appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, 13 October after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences.

Harrison was arrested in June 2021 after Essex Police received a report from a survivor of sexual abuse that they had been sexually assaulted.

Following his arrest, Harrison refused to provide the PIN for his phone, delaying the process of officers gathering evidence. Despite this, evidence was obtained and Harrison was charged on 30 May 2022 with two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault by touching.

During a pre-trial hearing on 26 July 2023, Harrison pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault by touching. He pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration.

He appeared in court on Friday (13 October) where he was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also made to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register and issued with a five-year restraining order.

Detective Constable Hughes, investigating officer in the case said “In the early stages of the investigation, Harrison refused to admit what he did and even attempted to prolong the investigation process by refusing to provide his PIN.

“Our focus for this case, as with every case is securing justice for the victim. I hope the victim knows that they were believed and is now able to move on with their life.”

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis). Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.  

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.  For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.  

For more information visit the Synergy Essex website: https://synergyessex.org.uk/