Man, 25, jailed for sex assaults on young girls (From Worcester News)

Man, 25, jailed for sex assaults on young girls

4:00pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News

A PORTUGUESE man has been jailed for two years for sexually assaulting young girls in Worcester over a two-week period.

Rubio Costa, aged 25, must also sign the sex offenders register for seven years after being found guilty of three allegations of sexual assault by a jury at Worcester Crown Court.

Costa, of Broad Street, Worcester, grabbed, hugged and kissed three girls aged between 15 and 17 without their consent as they walked through CrownGate shopping centre between March 12 and 14.

Paul Whitfield, prosecuting, said Costa was convicted of robbery in his home country in 2006 and was jailed for 15 months in February 2010 for sexual harassment.

Sentencing Costa, Judge John Cavell said he had acted with a degree of persistence and determination. He said one of the victims felt, as she put it, that she had no way out, although there were other people around at the time.

Judge Cavell said: “With these aggravating features, only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Costa was sentenced to two years in prison for each of the three offences, to run concurrently.

The sentence will also take into account the 199 days he has already served.

After the hearing, Suzanne Llewellyn, senior sector crown prosecutor from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Rubio Costa’s actions were consistent of a predatory sex offender seeking opportunities to sexually assault vulnerable victims.

“He targeted young girls who were on their own and he took advantage of this situation.

“On one occasion, he assaulted two victims in the space of an hour.

“At each attack, the victims bravely pushed him away and informed the police.

“The CPS has a dedicated team of specially trained prosecutors who have a great deal of understanding of the sensitivities of prosecuting cases of this nature, and how difficult and harrowing it can be for a victim from the first step of making a complaint to the police, through to giving evidence in a trial.

“We would like to thank the victims for having the courage to support the prosecution and giving evidence in this case, which has allowed a predatory sex offender to be brought to justice.”