Men jailed for grooming and raping teen girls in Littlehampton Published duration 7 June 2016

image copyright SUSSEX POLICE image caption Osmon Koroma (left) and Max N'Gasa were found guilty after a six-week trial

Two men have been jailed for grooming and raping a group of teenage girls they befriended at a parade of shops in West Sussex.

Osmon Koroma and Max N'Gasa met 12 girls, aged between 13 and 15, at Wick Parade in Littlehampton, where Koroma lived in a flat, Sussex Police said.

The pair requested sex acts from the girls in exchange for cigarettes and alcohol they bought for them.

At Lewes Crown Court Koroma was jailed for 14 years and N'Gasa for 11 years.

The court heard the offences were committed between 2010 and 2014 and some of the 12 victims knew each other.

'Significant case'

Det Insp Miles Ockwell said the girls were sometimes sexually abused by both defendants.

"We are glad to know that justice has now been done for the girls," he said.

"It was clear that Koroma's flat acted as a magnet for the girls, whose physical maturity outstripped their emotional maturity."

In a victim impact statement, one victim described how she felt "worthless" while another said "I don't want it to happen to anyone else."

Koroma, 31, was found guilty of eight offences, including one rape and N'Gasa, 25, also of Littlehampton, was convicted of 10 offences, including two rapes.

image caption MP Peter Kyle said other young people needed to be protected from predators

Both will be registered sex offenders for life.

After Koroma and N'Gasa were convicted, Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, said he was "absolutely determined" to get to the bottom of what happened.

"If these young girls have been exhibiting behaviour that was picked up by any of our services or any other individuals and wasn't acted upon we need to know that," he said.

"We need to make sure other young people are given protection they deserve from predators like these two."

N'Gasa was cleared of one sex assault and a charge of attempting to carry out sexual activity with a child.