Zachary Huckstep

Zachary Huckstep, a violent male transvestite, was convicted in 2008 at Lewes Crown Court of attempted kidnap with the intention of committing a sexual offence, possession of cocaine and supplying cocaine. Huckstep was given an indefinite jail sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of two years before he will be considered for parole. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), banned from working with children indefinitely and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Huckstep, 32, attempted to abduct a 16 year old girl from an Eastbourne street in May 2008, first offering her cocaine and money to have sex with him and then dropping his trousers to reveal he was wearing nothing underneath and then repeatedly attempting to manhandle her into his van. Luckily, the terrified girl – who believed she was going to be raped – had some martial arts training and managed to get away from him. At 5am that morning Huckstep’s neighbour saw him in the window wearing nothing from the waist down and later found a note pushed through her letterbox saying if she wanted to have sex she could come to his house.

Huckstep was wearing a purple lycra skirt and women’s pink knickers when he was eventually arrested by police in July 2008 after a group of girls made a complaint about him – he had approached six girls aged 18, 16, 15, 14, 13 and 12 asking them for cigarettes and blocking their paths. Some of the girls noticed he was wearing purple underwear. Police found a pink bra and pair of black high-heeled shoes in the van and a black dress at his home. A bag of cocaine was found in his trouser pocket and also in the van.

In court, Huckstep blamed his offending on the fact that his wife left him, making his drug use and sexualised behaviour worse.

In 2020, Huckstep, 44, received a conditional discharge for a driving offence. He escaped a ban under totting up as he would lose his job.

Media reports

The Argus https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/2039094.pervert-arrested-wearing-purple-skirt-and-pink-knickers/ archive

The Argus https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18295995.dock-15-sussex-defendants-named-court/ archive