A 25-year-old man from Fratton has been charged with the attempted rape of a woman in June last year.

The man was arrested late on Sunday, following the attack on a woman who had been walking home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The woman, who was returning home from a night out with friends in the nearby area, was dragged into an alleyway by a man who subjected her to the attack.

Police say the attempted rape charge relates to another incident in June last year.

He will next appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on April 14.

Mark Brigham was a serving PC in the Metropolitan police force when he committed the offence in Portsmouth.

Brigham, who was a lesbian and gay liaison officer for the force, travelled down to the city in August 2008 to attend a party.

During the course of the evening he befriended the teenager and was repeatedly told the boy was 15.

But in the early hours of the next day Brigham and the boy, who can’t be named for legal reasons, engaged in sexual activity in an alleyway.

The youngster’s family contacted police about a week later after he had told them what had happened.

Brigham, who had served in the Met for nine years, was arrested and interviewed.

At first he claimed he thought the boy was over 16 but he later admitted four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Brigham also resigned from the Met police force.

At Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday Brigham, of Hackney, London, was sent to prison for 30 months.

Judge Roger Hetherington said: ‘These offences are aggravated by the disparity in age between you.

‘You were more than twice his age. You knew he was underage and yet you succumbed to temptation.’

He added: ‘I accept that at the time of these offences you were someone with your own difficulties and the fact that until then you had no previous convictions and a valued job in the police force. You have lost that now.’

Brigham’s barrister, Richard Atchley, told the court his client had shown genuine remorse for his actions.

He added: ‘He wants to apologise to the young boy and the Metropolitan police force, which he served in for nine years with distinction.

‘His behaviour came at the end of a long downward spiral in his life.’

Brigham is likely to serve half the sentence behind bars before he is released into the community on licence.

ON THE SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER

Mark Brigham will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely as a result of the 30-month prison sentence he received.

He could have to tell police where he lives and if he ever changes his address or name for the rest of his life. If he fails in this duty he could be hauled back before the courts and jailed for failing to abide with the notification requirements.

Brigham has also been banned from working with children.