A MAN guilty of raping a girl when she was “five or six years old” has had his sentencing date moved again.

A jury previously found Roger Robinson, 69, of Beachy Road, Crawley, guilty of 14 counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault.

One of the rape charges involved Robinson inviting two other men to have sex with the girl.

The jury returned a not guilty verdict on one count of rape.

Robinson was due to be sentenced at Hove Crown Court at the end of May but the case was adjourned until June 27 due to the unavailability of the judge.

It was delayed again until July 5 but the hearing is now adjourned until September 5.

The defendant, who had denied the charges, shook his head and showed no emotion as the jury foreman announced the verdicts following a three-week trial at Hove Crown Court on April 6.

The Argus: Hove Crown CourtHove Crown Court

The jury heard the abuse had taken place over a period of 17 years.

Judge Shani Barnes had told the jury it had heard a “very complex” case for several reasons, not least the historic nature of the offences.

The jury was previously sent home after failing to deliver a verdict after ten hours of deliberating on April 5.

In his summing up, Rowan Jenkins, prosecuting, had described the actions of Robinson as “depraved”, and said the girl was now “damaged”. He said the abuse was “physically painful and mentally painful”.

Nicholas Hamblin, defending, had told the jury the allegations were “fantasy” and it had been “one person’s word against another” after the defendant and the victim had addressed the court.

Hove Crown Court confirmed the sentencing of Robinson was postponed due to “various availabilities of parties”.