Chef pleads guilty to kidnap of girl, 14, as she walked to school
The teenager was stopped and searched in Three Bridges, Crawley
A chef has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a 14-year-old girl as she made her way to school in West Sussex.
David Young, of Garton Close, Ifield, Crawley, also admitted breaching a sexual offence prevention order (SOPO) dating back to September 2012 for having unsupervised contact with a child.
The 32-year-old denied kidnapping the teenager with intent to commit a sexual offence and a further breach of the SOPO by accessing a social networking site.
Sussex Police said the girl was approached on her way to school in the Three Bridges area of Crawley by a man wearing a yellow high visibility jacket on October 13 2021.
He reportedly took her to a nearby area away from the road and searched her clothing before leaving the scene on a bicycle.
The girl, whose identity cannot be revealed legally, was unharmed and given support, the force said.
Judge Christine Henson QC adjourned the case at Hove Crown Court until February 9 for the prosecution to decide whether to proceed with a trial on the remaining two charges set to be held on March 28.