MORE than 1,000 sex crimes in four years were committed by repeat offenders who dodged jail after their first offence.
It means hundreds of victims have fallen prey to perverts given a second chance.
Rhys Miller-Offiong was given a suspended sentence for grooming an underage girl and went on to rapeMetropolitan Police
The Sun on Sunday can reveal the figures days after the Government ordered judges to jail fewer sex offenders and burglars to ease overcrowding in prisons.
In the past four years, 1,057 sex offences were dealt with by courts where the offender avoided jail the first time they were caught.
There were 294 in court last year, 16 on rape charges and 67 on charges of sexually assaulting women.
Another 116 were convicted for child sex offences, 72 for indecent exposure and five for voyeurism.
In 2017 Rhys Miller-Offiong, 24, of Catford, South London, got a suspended jail sentence for grooming an underage girl.
Three months later he raped a woman and was jailed for 15 years at Woolwich crown court.
Andrea Simon, of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: “Research shows that perpetrators of sexual violence have a propensity to repeatedly offend.
“Official figures will be the tip of the iceberg, given they only capture the fraction of sexual violence and abuse that is actually reported.”
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