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16th May 2023
08:16am BST
A predator has been banned from standing near any woman he doesn’t know in public after cops caught him sexually assaulting a teenage girl in front of her family.
Abdulrizak Ali Hersi was spotted by plainclothes police attacking the schoolgirl when she got onto a Tube in central London with her family in October last year.
The assault happened just before 5pm, when Hersi, 32, got onboard a train at Green Park Underground station and stood near the doors.
At the next stop on the Piccadilly Line, a family got on the train and moments later, Hersi sexually assaulted the 13-year-old daughter.
Plainclothes British Transport Police (BTP) officers on patrol who saw the attack unfold, grabbed Hersi and dragged him off the train at Leicester Square and arrested him.
At Inner London Crown Court on May 5, Hersi, of Limehouse, east London, was jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of sexual assault.
A judge also handed the defendant a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order - banning him from "intentionally standing behind or next to any female he doesn’t know in a public place".
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187.
Inspector Sharon Turner, of the BTP, said on Monday: "Our plain clothes teams are specially trained in identifying dangerous sexual offenders like Hersi, who will do their level best to commit such crimes without notice.
"In this case, the victim and her family didn’t even realise what was happening until our officers quickly intervened.
"Passengers should feel reassured to know we have plain clothes patrols like this taking place across the Underground day and night to keep everyone safe."
Anyone with concerns while travelling on the Tube or on train can text BTP on 61016.
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