A man wearing a Louis Vuitton scarf has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a London Underground station late at night.
Details of the alleged assault
Mhfod Otman, a 27-year-old Algerian migrant from Kingston-upon-Thames, is alleged to have groped a female passenger at Camden Town Tube station in north London. The incident reportedly occurred just after midnight on October 25 last year.
Prosecutor Sarah Madden told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the victim was walking through a tunnel towards a platform at approximately 12.30am when she felt someone touch her. "She felt someone touch her bum and her lower back area," Madden stated. "She could feel someone’s hand stroking up her body. She turned around and the defendant was there."
Court appearance and bail conditions
Otman appeared in court wearing a black Trapstar jacket, the noted Louis Vuitton scarf, and Nike trainers. He required the assistance of an Arabic interpreter and spoke only to confirm his name and age.
He has denied one count of sexual assault on a female. Magistrate Tim Cohen granted Otman conditional bail ahead of his next appearance, a plea and trial preparation hearing scheduled for February 3 at Inner London Crown Court.
Magistrate Cohen issued a stern warning to the defendant regarding his bail conditions. "You are on conditional bail. If you don’t turn up at your next hearing you will be committing a separate offence," Cohen said. "If you commit any offence while on bail it will be treated more seriously."
Next steps in the case
The case will now proceed to a higher court. The alleged victim's identity is protected by law. Sexual assault offences are taken extremely seriously by the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, with successful prosecutions often leading to custodial sentences and placement on the Sex Offenders Register.
Transport for London (TfL) encourages all passengers who experience or witness any form of unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network to report it immediately to police or TfL staff, assuring that all reports are taken seriously and investigated.
