A man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting three women in separate incidents while riding a bicycle through Horley.
Qais Al-Aswad, 26, of Brighton Road, Horley, was sentenced at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (22 October) after being convicted of three counts of sexual assault by touching. He was given a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work.
Al-Aswad was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must wear an electronic monitoring tag. He is further banned from using any bicycle or scooter in a public place unless it has GPS tracking to record his location and route.
The offences took place between 23 May and 12 June this year. Police said Al-Aswad targeted women in separate locations across the town, including outside Dentistree on 23 May, The Factory Shop on 4 June, and again near the same area on 12 June.
Each of the victims reported being approached and touched inappropriately by a man on a bicycle. In the final incident, Al-Aswad was said to have grabbed a woman’s pubic area and then blown her a kiss when she shouted at him.
He was arrested and charged following a police investigation and found guilty after a one-day trial at Staines Magistrates’ Court on 20 August, where he was remanded into custody before sentencing.
Detective Inspector Helen Cooper, who led the investigation, praised the victims for coming forward and the officers who swiftly identified the offender.
She said:
“I am grateful for the swift action taken by officers who worked to identify Al-Aswad as being responsible for all three offences and ensure he was charged, remanded and brought before the courts.
“Incidents of this nature are distressing and concerning for our local communities. As a Force, we remain committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and I hope the fact that Al-Aswad was quickly identified, charged and remanded into custody shows that reports are taken seriously and will be investigated thoroughly.”
The victims, who attended court for sentencing, said the attacks had left them feeling “unsafe and disgusted.”
Al-Aswad, originally from Syria, was staying in asylum accommodation at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Horley at the time of the offences.
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