Rye man jailed for rape

Rye man Jordan Osbourne has been jailed for five years for raping a woman known to him in her own home.

Osbourne, 22, of Parkwood in Iden, near Rye, was arrested in February, 2022, when an 18-year-old woman reported being raped.

The victim reported that Osbourne, who she had agreed could sleep on her sofa in her living room, then followed her into her bedroom and raped her in the early hours of 3 January, 2022.

The victim was supported by specialist officers, while an investigation was launched. Osbourne was arrested and taken into custody.

He was subsequently charged with rape and, at Brighton Crown Court after a four-day trial on Friday, 6 March, a jury found him guilty.

At Hove Trial Centre on Friday (20 March), he was sentenced to five years in prison and given a 10-year restraining order protecting the victim.

Detective Constable Cally Fox said: “Jordan Osbourne’s victim trusted him and allowed him to sleep in her home. He betrayed that trust in the worst way.

“I recognise the courage it takes to report incidents such as these and support investigations alongside the devastating trauma caused by sexual offending. I would like to thank the victim for her courage throughout this process.

“If you are a victim of sexual offending, please report it to police online or via 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency. We will support you and we will do all we can to get you justice.”

Some support available in Sussex includes:

• Survivors Network: providing emotional and practical support.
• Life Centre: trauma-informed therapy and counselling services.
• Mankind: dedicated support for male victim-survivors delivered by men.
• Veritas Justice: independent support for victims of stalking

Find out more about the free support available to victim-survivors of crime on the Safe Space Sussex website.