Hastings man jailed for serious sex offences

Sussex Police say 63-year-old Alan Haldane, a former builder, of Priory Avenue, Hastings, was found guilty of the rape and attempted rape of a girl under the age of 10-years-old after a five-day trial concluded at Hove Crown Court on Friday, August 11.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (September 13), Haldane was sentenced to a total of 15 years imprisonment, with a further five-year extended prison release licence supervision requirement, police said.

During sentencing the court heard that in April 2016 Haldane, who had previously lived in Amherst Road in Bexhill, had been sentenced to a total of six and a half years imprisonment for a series of sexual assaults on girls under the age of 13. He was already serving this sentence at the time of his latest conviction.

He was also convicted on charges of taking indecent images and of voyeurism at the April 2016 trial.

Police say the victims of the offences in that case were three girls between the ages of three- and ten-years-old who had been students from Germany and France and were hosted at his home while studying at language schools in Hastings and Bexhill.

After that case, one of the three girls he had assaulted came forward and said that he had also raped her and attempted to do on another occasion. A further investigation has now resulted in the 15-year sentence, police said.

As a result Haldane will have to serve at least 10 years in custody before he can apply for parole and will also continue to be a registered sex offender for life.

Detective Constable Aydin Misiri of the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “This victim suffered terribly at the hands of Haldane, who used her natural inexperience and naivety for his own sexual gratification.

“Fortunately she had the courage to eventually disclose this further abuse of her. We investigated and as a result Haldane has now faced justice again, after a trial in which the victim gave clear and compelling evidence.

“This whole case has caused the girl and her family stress beyond belief. I wish the family the best and hope that justice now being served can help alleviate the stress they may have, and that they can now move forward.”

“We will always take such reports seriously, no matter how long ago they are said to have occurred, and will investigate wherever possible.”