Millionaire businessman led double life as sex attacker
A MILLIONAIRE businessman who drugged and raped young men and then filmed the attacks faces spending the rest of his life in jail as police appealed for more victims to come forward.
Ian Elliot, 71, was regarded as a pillar of the community in Pulborough, Sussex, funding sports clubs and a cricket pavilion and supporting charities.
But the married father of two spent years grooming, drugging and abusing teenagers and young men, filming the attacks in a studio above his garage.
Elliott, who had an office supplies company, lavished gifts on the men he abused. But when they were alone he would drug them so they had no idea of the attacks until police contacted them after finding videos of the attacks.
In more than 90 hours of recordings, Elliott was captured carrying out sexual abuse and rapes of the men often involving riding boots and a wetsuit.
In November, 2022, he was charged with 92 separate offences, including 13 rapes, three attempted rapes, 13 sexual assaults and 20 counts of voyeurism. In November he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, 17 counts of voyeurism, eight sexual assaults, four counts of possession of Class A, B and C drugs, one of causing actual bodily harm and one of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The guilty pleas related to four victims, aged between 16 and 28 at the time of the offences. Almost 40 further charges will remain on file.
Sentencing him to 18 years in prison with a further five on licence, Judge Jeremy Gold KC told Elliott he showed no remorse or empathy towards victims.
Det Supt Miles Ockwell, head of Sussex Police’s safeguarding investigations units, said that “this is the only appropriate outcome given the multiple lives he has ruined as a result of his relentless campaign of sexual abuse”.
He added that “we cannot be sure that there are not other unidentified victims of abuse perpetrated by Elliott and I would encourage anyone who does think that they have been a victim to contact police.”