A man who attempted to rape a 13-year-old girl on a train from Southend to London has been jailed for 12 years. Abdulmanon Aliev, 50, was sentenced on Tuesday at Inner London Crown Court for the assault that occurred on the afternoon of June 16 last year.
Details of the attack
Aliev, a Tajikistan national living in Rye Lane, Peckham, sat opposite the girl and tried to communicate using a translator app. When she moved away, he followed her and sat in an aisle seat, trapping her by the window. He then subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault until the train arrived at London Fenchurch Street, where she escaped and alerted authorities on another train.
Arrest and conviction
British Transport Police arrested Aliev 11 days later after plain-clothes officers spotted him in Peckham. A search of his home yielded the clothes he wore during the attack, and he was charged the next day. In April, he was found guilty of attempted rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and three counts of sexual assault. On Tuesday, he received a 12-year prison sentence with two years on licence and must register as a sex offender for life.
Police commendation
BTP Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill said: “Aliev singled out a vulnerable child and subjected her to one of the most abhorrent sexual assaults I’ve ever investigated. While the focus of attention will rightly be on him as the despicable sexual predator that he is, I want to pay tribute to the brave victim who reported him to police. His conviction and 12-year jail term would not have been possible without her account of what happened and her willingness to support our investigation. We take every sexual offence report extremely seriously, and we’ll stop at nothing to ensure vile offenders like Aliev are put behind bars where they belong.”
