Previously from Church Road, Crowborough, Andrew Evans, 36, jobless, showed up in custody at Hove Crown Court on Friday, July 8. He had earlier admitted guilt to seven offences.
With a kid aged 15 he had met in East Grinstead in September 2021; this included four charges of engaging in sexual conduct and one of planning and assisting sexual activity.
While babysitting for her family, in March 2022, the 36-year-old was also guilty of one crime of sexual assault on a girl under 13 in Uckfield and one of possessing indecent photos of the same kid.
Detective Constable Michelle Hayes said: “I have fought to build the two families’ trust over the last six months; I have virtually observed the effects this has had on them daily. Evans targeted these young people using his position of trust and cunning in his actions, and at last, there is justice for all concerned.
Andrew Evans received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to last forever and will be under another three years of extended prison supervision licence upon release.
This order forbids his habitation around minors, limits his movements in public areas where children could be present, forbids contact with a child under eighteen, and limits his access to mobile devices.
Along with being a registered sex offender for life, Andrew Evans will be tightly under police and probation supervision upon release from jail.
Andrew Evans was also given lifelong Restrain Orders by the Court, which forbade any contact with any of his victims.
Authorised by the CPS, the prosecution followed Sussex Police safeguarding investigators’ inquiries.
Working closely with local authorities and other partners, the police have taken action to guarantee that no other children are now at risk; the two affected children, especially qualified officers, have assisted their families.
Early this year, police received a tip indicating Andrew Evans had met the very vulnerable 15-year-old at an isolated car park in East Grinstead.
There, he perpetrated several sexual offences directed towards the lad.
Andrew Evans intended to keep the friendship going, but the lad avoided his calls and told his parents and school what had transpired.
The mother of the 15-year-old lad said: “I live daily with the thought of what my son has been through, and always worry about keeping him safe. As a family, we are only now adjusting to this, and the disturbance caused to his grandparents and other relatives is significant. I have had to take time away from work as I have been unable to cope with the stress, and I cannot begin to describe how devastated I am.
We cannot tell his younger brother the news as it is too traumatic. What I know is that this person should not be released for a very long time and then should not be allowed near children or the vulnerable, whatever their age. My son has disabilities and is vulnerable. Therefore, it is vital to keep him safe daily, and for this to happen is devastating.”
Police found that Andrew Evans had been advertising as a babysitter using an online profile while on police bail, under tight conditions prohibiting contact with any youngster.
Following this, police found that he had committed the charges against the seven-year-old child while babysitting her at her Uckfield house.
Sussex Police Public Protection Command Detective Inspector Steve Cobbett said: “This has been a long and exhaustive inquiry involving highly troubling claims of severe child sexual abuse. The seriousness of these offences informs the sentence given today.
“It is crucial to understand that the victims in these inquiries have been quite courageous in reporting these assaults and revisiting them during our inquiry. They deserve great credit for this and will be helped going forward from today’s sentence. I want to thank them for their resilience and support.
UPDATE 20.12.24
A paedophile, Andrew Evans, sexually abused two toddlers while employed at a childcare.
Andrew Evans assaulted the boy and girl over a period of six months while employed at a nursery in Crowborough in recent years.
Andrew Evans, 38, has been incarcerated following his admission of guilt.
In 2022, the family of a three-year-old kid notified the authorities after the child reported being sexually molested by ‘Andy’ at nursery.
That same year, a three-year-old girl reported that she had been sexually molested by Evans.
Andrew Evans, already incarcerated for unrelated sexual acts against two other children, was then charged with two charges of penetration of a girl under 13, assault by touching of the same girl, and one count of assault by penetration of a boy under 13.
Despite pleading guilty to assault by touching at Crawley Magistrates Court on July 8, Andrew Evans initially maintained his innocence on the other charges.
He later pleaded guilty to those at Hove Crown Court on August 27.
Today (December 18), he was sentenced to 14 years and four months in prison, with an additional four years and eight months to be spent on extended license.
The sentence will run concurrently with his previous sentence from 2022 of six years and eight months.
Sussex Police DC Rebecca Wilde said: “Andrew Evans was trusted by his young victims, their families and the nursery that employed him. He betrayed that trust in the most appalling ways.
“The children involved have shown incredible courage to report the abuses they suffered; both so young they struggled to fully articulate Evans’ vile behaviour.
“I would like to thank them, and their families, for their support during this incredibly difficult time.
“The nursery has fully cooperated with our investigation to help bring Andrew Evans to justice for his despicable actions, and helped to ensure ongoing safeguarding measures are in place.
“Andrew Evans will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars, where he can pose no further danger to children and the wider public.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.