Cadet leader used his position of power to sexually abuse young girls

A former cadet leader was imprisoned for sexual offenses against two young girls.

Simon Taplin was sentenced to four and a half years in prison at Portsmouth Crown Court on 3 June.

On February 20, he was found guilty by the same court of two counts of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16.

Taplin, 64, of Springfield Close in Lavant, near Chichester, was charged with five further counts of sexual abuse of a girl under 16, but the jury found him not guilty.

An investigation was launched in September 2020 when Sussex Police received a third-party report that a woman had been sexually abused by Taplin as a child.

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His victim, whose name cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, met him at the cadets, where he used his position of power to abuse her.

Simon Taplin was sentenced to four and a half years in prison (Image: Sussex Police)

The first incident occurred in 1996, when his victim was a teenager. Taplin sexually abused her several times over the next four years.

During the investigation, another woman came forward and said she had been abused by Taplin around the same time.

The court heard that as a teenager she was abused by Taplin, who took advantage of his seniority position and sexually assaulted her during a cadet event.

In addition to his prison sentence, Taplin was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Detective Constable Jason Berney, of the Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: “I would like to express my gratitude for the bravery of the victims who have come forward and given evidence to the police and in court.

“This courage secured Taplin’s conviction and means that a man who abused his power to exploit girls is now behind bars.

“I hope that all victims of sexual abuse are encouraged to come forward and report any crime or misconduct. We will investigate the case, no matter how long ago it happened.”