Suspect in city sex assaults is caught on CCTV

By Ken Foy Crime Correspondent

THIS is the man suspected of being involved in two shocking sexual assaults in different parts of the capital.

Officers from Pearse Street Garda Station and gardai based in Rathmines on the capital's southside have been trying to track him down for more than two years.

The two sexual assaults happened almost eight weeks apart with one occurring in broad daylight and the other attack late at night.

DISTURBING

In both cases a woman who was walking on her own was targeted by the suspect who groped them in incidents which have been described as "very indecent and extremely disturbing".

Senior gardai believe that the man who carried out the attacks may be responsible for other serious sexual assaults that have not yet been reported and are appealing for anyone who recognises the man captured on CCTV to contact them.

Officers have stressed, however, that the man should not be approached by members of the public.

Both sexual assaults happened in 2012 and left the victims extremely traumatised.

The first incident took place during the day at Cambridge Villas in Rathmines on September 5, 2012 when a female was viciously attacked.

Then at around 11.30pm on October 30, 2012, the same suspect was involved in an attack on another woman who was walking home alone at Lord Edward Street in Dublin city centre.

Her ordeal lasted for around a minute and gardai say that like in the Rathmines attack, the suspect did not speak during the assault. This has meant that gardai have not been able to establish a nationality for the suspect, who is described as having a slim build, is around five feet, eight inches in height and wears glasses.

Gardai say that he has a distinctive hairstyle and nose shape and that he wore black rimmed glasses during both attacks.

footage

So far officers have been unable to make a breakthrough in the cases despite the crimes being uploaded to the gardai's G-Tube channel which is broadcast on the force's computerised Pulse system.

This is the video-streaming service that allows officers to upload CCTV footage.

One arrest was recently made in the case after a man was thought to be involved in the attacks. However, he was later ruled out of the investigation.

Anyone with any information about the man in the CCTV or the attacks that occurred in Rathmines or Lord Edward Street should call gardai at Pearse Street Station at 01-6669000, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any local garda station.

kfoy@herald.ie

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