A St Leonards Paedophile, Anthony Everton, who used an internet messaging service to prey on young girls has been arrested.
Under the guise of a little child himself, 35-year- Anthony Everton used Snapchat to reach girls between 13 and 15.
He would then ask the females to send him sexually graphic pictures before threatening to forward such images to their families. He would then swap phone numbers with them.
Anthony Everton would phone and text the victims to start a sexual conversation. Should they attempt to cut off communication with him, he would threaten to burn down their homes or kill them.
Police arrested Anthony Everton in April 2023 after parents who had intervened in the event reported back to them. While investigations, including digital device analysis, persisted, he was released on bond with tight conditions.
Police discovered evidence of obscene photographs and films on Anthony Everton’s mobile phone, including many explicit images of a girl he had sent to her relatives over social media, despite his attempts to erase it upon detention.
Police started getting several reports of a guy, Anthony Everton, masturbating in the front window of an address on St John’s Road, St Leonards, in September 2023 while this inquiry was still under way. The man was fully visible to the public and next to a children’s playground.
Police further detained Anthony Everton after determining his address was his.
Anthony Everton was then charged with twelve offences: one act of outraging public decency; seven charges of sexual communication with a minor; and four counts on the possession and distribution of obscene photos of children.
On March 19, 2024, he was found guilty in Brighton Crown Court He was sentenced eleven years at Hove Crown Court on Friday, July 19, six years in prison and five years on extended licence.
He will be on the Sex Offers Register for life and received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order as well.
“Anthony Everton was relentless in spotting and contacting young girls he would then use and control for his own sexual gratification,” said investigating officer DC Auryn Liddiard.
“His actions were meant to be intimate and upsetting; I would want to thank every one of his victims for their bravery in helping our inquiry and providing proof against him.
“Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are an important tool to help us protect our victims and the community; this indefinite order will ensure we are able to closely monitor Everton’s activity even after he is released from prison.”
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