In 2015, the Offender Database recorded that 24-year-old Dean Thompson was jailed for six years for a prolific campaign of online grooming. Thompson—of Hamilton Close, Portslade, East Sussex—was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 12 January 2015 for a series of sexual offences targeting girls as young as 11. It was reported that the investigation was a long-running operation by Sussex Police, spanning several years of digital forensic analysis to uncover his predatory interactions across multiple social media platforms.
The investigation established that Thompson used Facebook, Kik, and Skype to contact at least 10 local girls between the ages of 11 and 15. Lewes Crown Court heard that the offending first came to light in 2012 when Thompson messaged a 12-year-old girl to meet for sex, though he was not prosecuted until further victims came forward in 2013. The prosecution reported that Thompson plied the children with sexual requests and even offered to supply cocaine to two of the girls, continuing his contact with one victim even while he was on active police bail.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Thompson’s conduct was calculated to bypass parental supervision by using popular messaging apps. Lewes Crown Court heard that Thompson admitted to three counts of attempting to meet a child under 16, two counts of inciting a girl to watch something sexual, and five counts of inciting girls to engage in sexual behaviour. The investigation established that while there was no evidence of physical contact, his digital actions were designed to “debauch” the young victims for his own sexual gratification.
Judge Guy Anthony presided over the sentencing, handing Thompson a total of six years’ imprisonment. For his actions in Portslade and the surrounding Sussex area, he was also made the subject of a lifelong Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO), which severely restricts his access to computers and his proximity to children. The judge noted that the severity of the sentence reflected the “persistent and determined” nature of his attempts to corrupt multiple children over a four-year period.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in East Sussex, the status of Dean Thompson as of April 4, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Served 6-year term; sentenced 2015; released on licence circa 2018).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SOPO Status: Sexual Offence Prevention Order active for life.
- Licence Status: Subject to post-release supervision in the Portslade/Brighton area.
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Inciting a child to engage in sexual behaviour; Offering to supply Class A drugs; 12 counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Lewes Crown Court; investigated by Sussex Police.
- Criminal Record: Grooming 11-year-olds via Kik/Skype; Offering cocaine to minors; Breach of police bail.
- Origin: Hamilton Close, Portslade, East Sussex.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Thompson is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Portslade and Brighton area following his release. Due to the nature of his conduct—which involved the systematic targeting of numerous local schoolgirls and the use of Class A drugs as a grooming tool—his management is a maximum priority for the Sussex Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his history of offending while on bail indicates a high risk of recidivism and a disregard for legal boundaries.
As a registered sex offender for life, the 24-year-old’s (then) details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his lifelong SOPO includes permanent restrictions on his residency and his ability to use any unmonitored internet-enabled devices. Any failure to notify police of his movements in East Sussex, any attempt to create social media profiles under aliases, or any unauthorized contact with minors will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of predatory online behaviour.
QUESTION – Given that the offender used social media apps like Kik and Skype to target 11-year-olds and even offered them cocaine, do you believe that “Automatic IP-Tracking” should be a mandatory legal requirement for all convicted online groomers to allow police to see their live location and web traffic at all times?
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