Man Attempting to Meet 14-Year-Old in France Jailed Following Gatwick Stop

A 23-year-old man has been jailed for 15 years after he was stopped at Gatwick Airport attempting to fly to France to meet a teenage girl he had been sexually abusing. Fabrizio Broussett, of Chartham Road, Croydon, was arrested on 18 May 2025 as he tried to board a flight to Lyon. 18,000 Videos Discovered […]

A 23-year-old man has been jailed for 15 years after he was stopped at Gatwick Airport attempting to fly to France to meet a teenage girl he had been sexually abusing.

Fabrizio Broussett, of Chartham Road, Croydon, was arrested on 18 May 2025 as he tried to board a flight to Lyon.

18,000 Videos Discovered

Broussett first came to the attention of Sussex Police in April 2025 when Counter Terror officers seized his mobile phone during a separate investigation.

While no terror offences were identified, officers uncovered around 18,000 videos, including footage depicting violent sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl in France. They also found 33,000 messages exchanged with the teenager.

Investigators confirmed Broussett had images of the victim’s ID card and passport, proving she was just 14 years old. Messages recovered from his phone were described as degrading and sexually aggressive. The victim was not related to him.

Police worked with Interpol to carry out urgent welfare checks. The girl was located and safeguarded.

Trips to France

Further enquiries revealed Broussett had travelled to France for two separate weeks in February and April 2025, booking B&Bs in the Saint-Étienne area. Officers also uncovered evidence he was planning to meet her again before his arrest.

He was charged with:

• Two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child
• Four counts of making indecent images of a child
• Three counts of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence
• One count of engaging in sexual communication with a child

Broussett admitted all charges at Croydon Crown Court on 11 July 2025.

15-Year Prison Sentence

At the same court on 17 February, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with an additional three years on extended licence.

He was also handed a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, placed indefinitely on the sex offenders register and banned from working with children or vulnerable people.

Detective Constable Tasha Smith said Broussett was a “committed offender who proactively groomed and abused a child for his own sexual gratification”.

She added that while the victim must live with the impact of his offending, she hoped the sentence would provide some comfort.

Police urged victims of sexual offences to report incidents online or via 101, or to dial 999 in an emergency.