Tube Predator Sentenced to 22 Months for Sexual Assaults and Stalking
Craig Anderson, a 38-year-old man described as a "grinning predator," has been jailed for 22 months after being convicted of sexually assaulting four vulnerable women and stalking a fifth victim on London's transport network. The offences occurred at multiple underground stations including Bank, Liverpool Street, Westminster, and Redhill station in Surrey throughout last year.
Pattern of Predatory Behaviour
Anderson consistently targeted lone women, initiating conversations and requesting phone numbers before sexually assaulting them by touching their backsides and fleeing the scene while laughing. CCTV footage captured him smiling and sticking his tongue out at victims, with one woman reporting being "haunted" by this gesture after she screamed at him to stop.
The stalking victim met Anderson on a train in June last year and provided her phone number. What followed was months of harassment through eight different phone numbers, including Anderson sending an unwanted explicit photograph in August. His behaviour escalated to following her during her commute, confiscating her phone and medication, and waiting outside bathrooms when she attempted to escape his attention.
Multiple Assaults Across London
Between June and October last year, Anderson carried out four separate sexual assaults on London's transport system:
- On June 14 at Bank station, CCTV showed Anderson walking behind a woman and reaching up to touch her as they ascended stairs
- Similar assaults occurred on August 2, August 28, and October 6
- On one occasion, he asked a woman on a Gatwick airport train: "What would you do if I tried to kiss you?" When she threatened to report him, he attempted to kiss her
Prosecutor Ellen Alexander stated: "He was deliberately targeting vulnerable women alone on public transport for sexual pleasure. He did not take no for an answer. He walks away smiling and sticking his tongue out. He does not understand the seriousness of what he has done."
Criminal History and Sentencing
Anderson was already subject to an 18-month community order from April last year for harassing an ex-partner and was in breach of a suspended sentence when committing these latest offences. His criminal record includes 49 previous convictions.
During his arrest at Canning Town's passport office on October 9, 2025, Anderson told police: "I'm not interested in these whores, you pay $10 for sex overseas." He maintained this dismissive attitude throughout proceedings, telling the court during sentencing: "I want to go man... I didn't touch those girls, I want to go."
Judge Nigel Lickley KC noted Anderson's "unusual way to start relationships, squeezing women on public transport" and highlighted his "distorted beliefs about your relationship with women." The judge emphasized the high risk of reoffending and the significant distress caused to victims, who were left feeling "extremely unsafe and vulnerable."
Police Response and Victim Support
The British Transport Police investigating officer described Anderson as "a dangerous predator who preyed on women for his own sexual gratification" and noted his lack of remorse, evidenced by smirking during police interviews. Authorities have urged anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual offences on trains or at stations to text 61016, assuring that all reports are taken seriously with efforts made to bring perpetrators to justice.
