A MAN who was arrested within minutes of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Epping has today been convicted of a series of offences.

Hadush Kebatu was arrested after we received reports of a man behaving inappropriately towards a teenage girl in High Road at 5.20pm on Tuesday 8 July.

As a result of the work of officers in the hours after the arrest, separate offences which took place on Monday 7 July were then reported for the first time and an investigation was launched.

Overnight, the 41-year-old, with an address in High Road, Epping, was charged.

He denied all offences during preliminary hearings and a three-day trial was held in Chelmsford and Colchester Magistrates’ Courts which finished today, Thursday 4 September.

The court heard that on 7 July Kebatu tried to kiss the teenage girl on a bench whilst also asking her to kiss him. He also made numerous sexually explicit comments.

The following afternoon, on 8 July, Kebatu encountered the same girl and again tried to kiss her before sexually assaulting her. He also made further sexually explicit comments despite being told the girl’s age and the fact that she was wearing her school uniform.

Shortly before this interaction, Kebatu had sexually assaulted and attempted to kiss an adult woman who had offered to help him create a CV to find work.

When she then saw Kebatu also interacting inappropriately with the teenage girl, she called 999 and he was quickly arrested.

Today, District Judge Christopher Williams found Kebatu guilty of:

• two counts of sexual assault
• one count of attempted sexual assault
• one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity; and
• one count of harassment without violence

A pre-sentence report was ordered and Kebatu will be sentenced at a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ on 23 September.

District Judge Williams warned Kebatu he would be facing an immediate custodial sentence.

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “First and foremost I would like to pay a personal tribute to both our young victim and our adult victim and every witness who came forward and ensured the evidence put before the court was strong and true.

“It is because of their accounts of what happened, and the close co-operation with our Crown Prosecution Service colleagues, that we have been able to secure this conviction.

“We’re acutely aware that this incident has attracted widespread public interest. We have always said that we treat and investigate every report made to us without fear or favour.

“This investigation has solely been about gathering evidence to show the actions of Hadush Kebatu on 7 and 8 July and today he has been convicted of these offences and will shortly be sentenced appropriately.

“This is what we do, all year round; we respond when people need us, we investigate crimes and we achieve convictions which protect the public – all without fear or favour.

“We understand the strength of feeling in our community, but no crime should become an excuse for the disorder we have seen at times in Epping.”

Rebecca Mundy, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor with CPS East of England, said: “This was an incident which became a cause of deep concern for the local community.

“Our prosecutors worked carefully and impartially to bring this case to justice according to the law.

“Close and effective collaboration between Essex Police and our out-of-hours prosecution team ensured Kebatu was promptly arrested, charged and remanded.

“The CPS is determined to pursue justice for victims, working with our law enforcement partners to hold sex offenders accountable.”