A MAN has pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges midway through his trial at Basildon Crown Court.

Harrison Hawkins, 37, of Kings Road, Laindon, admitted three counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, two counts of taking indecent images of a child and one count of possession of extreme pornographic material.

He was remanded into custody and will appear at the same court on Wednesday, 17 July for sentencing.Officers launched an investigation in June 2020 after receiving reports of indecent images of a child on Hawkins' phone.

Then, allegations of sexual abuse were put to Hawkins in November 2021 after the victim bravely told officers from our Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) about further incidents.

Hawkins was interviewed about these allegations and replied "no comment" when questioned.

He was subsequently charged and pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial had started when Hawkins changed his plea to guilty.

Detective Constable Ian Burgess, who led the investigation, said: "This change of plea from Hawkins comes following the weight of evidence and strength of the case against him.

"The victim and her family have shown incredible strength and dignity throughout this very difficult time."

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis). Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.  

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy. For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.  

For more information visit the Synergy Essex website: https://synergyessex.org.uk/