A man has been jailed for 15 years for five counts of serious sexual offences against a child committed between 2020-2022.

Rhogan Kent, 28, of London Road in Portsmouth appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday 14 January, where he was sentenced for the following child sex offences:

• Rape of a child under 13
• Two counts of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13
• Sexual touching of a child under 13
• Inciting a child under 13 to commit a sexual act

The abuse was first reported to police in September 2022 and a lengthy investigation was commenced by Detective Hannah Owen who was attached to the Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) at the time.

Kent was found guilty of the offences by a jury on 4^th November 2025, following a 7-day trial, and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with an extended licence for five years. He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Sergeant Hannah Owen from the Eastern Criminal Investigation Department team said, “Whilst no sentence can ever take back what the victim and their family have gone through, I am pleased to see Kent face justice and be put behind bars for these truly barbaric crimes.

“I would like to thank the young victim and their family for their courage and resolve throughout this investigation. Their support has been key to us securing this result and I truly hope that this can help put them on the path to rebuilding their lives.

“We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by child sexual abuse to please report this too us. We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and promise you that we will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”

You can contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence, or report online at Report a crime | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

Alternatively, you can visit the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website for more information on where to seek independent support in your area: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/

We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.

If you are not ready to speak to police, you can contact Child Line on 0800 11 11, or if you are an adult who has been affected, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.