Passersby called 999 when they saw Ali Mozaffari raping the woman near Brighton Palace Pier on September 10, 2023.
The 37-year-old was arrested at the scene and pretended to fall unconscious.
The victim was taken to a place of safety and supported by specialist officers while an investigation was launched.
Mozaffari, of Golders Green Road, Golders Green, London, was charged with rape and remanded in custody.
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He pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on February 2, 2024.
He appeared again at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (January 22), where he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.
Detective Constable Clare Byrnes said: “Ali Mozaffari preyed on a vulnerable woman who had every right to feel safe in a public space.
“Thanks to the quick thinking of witnesses at the scene, and rapid response from our officers, he was located while committing the offence and taken into custody.
“The victim in this investigation has shown immense courage to support the process, while living with the impacts of her ordeal, and has helped bring a dangerous predator to justice.”
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Phillips, of Brighton’s Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said:
“Brighton is a safe place, but appalling incidents such as these reinforce why we and our partners take policing the night-time economy so seriously.
“We have a wide range of safety measures in place to protect vulnerable people and catch perpetrators, should the worst happen, and thankfully incidents such as these are a rare occurrence.
“As a force we have made significant improvements to how we investigate reports of rape and support victims. That is helping us bring more offenders to justice and provide victims with the help they deserve.
“If you are a victim of crime, or see something suspicious, please report online, via 101 or dial 999 in an emergency.”
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