Brighton man charged in connection with seafront sexual assaults

Police in Brighton have charged and remanded a man in connection with a number of sexual assaults on lone women on the beach.

Mohamed Abdelsalam, 24, of Preston Road in Brighton, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration in relation to four separate reports in February.

In each instance, the victims reported being approached by a man while alone on or near the beach, persistently spoken to in a sexualised manner and sexually assaulted.

The four victims – who were all women in their late teens and 20s - reported being assaulted at night or in the early hours of the morning on 11, 12, 16 and 25 February.

The victim of the 25 February assault was assisted by Beach Patrol – a team that patrols Brighton seafront at night identifying and protecting vulnerable people.

Abdelsalam was subsequently arrested and has been remanded in custody pending a trial on Monday, 27 March, at a court to be decided.

If you have been a victim of crime, report it online or via 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.

The public can also anonymously flag areas where they feel unsafe, and why, using the online toolkit StreetSafe. More information can be found here https://www.sussex.police.uk/notices/street-safe/street-safe/