Gerald Hedges, 68, from Portsmouth, died at the Newport prison on July 14, according to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). He was serving a 26-year prison sentence, imposed at Portsmouth Crown Court in 2019, for a series of sexual offences. HMP Isle of Wight in Newport (Image: IWCP)He was also convicted of raping two adult women three decades ago and sexually abusing two other women when they were children. In 2020, the Court of Appeal rejected Hedges’ challenge to the length of his sentence, finding that the judge had properly considered the overall term. No cause of death or other circumstances have been published at this time.