Worthing man jailed for arranging sexual activity with '14-year-old girl'

A Worthing man has been jailed after messaging and arranging to engage in sexual activity with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Gary Shapland, 51, of Hertford Road in Worthing, was sentenced to a total of 32 months in prison on Thursday (July 2) at Hove Crown Court, police said.

He had previously pleaded guilty to 12 offences of attempting online to communicate, meet and engage in sexual activity with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Shapland had been arrested by police in the car park of Asda, in Lancing, in February 2018.

Police said Shapland was also given a sexual harm prevention order, to last until a further court order, that severely restricts his access to children and computers.

He will be a registered sex offender until further court order, police added.