A man who groped a 16-year-old girl near a busy London railway station and offered to buy her a vape in exchange for a sex act has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Sofiane Belasri, 41, of Dalston Lane, E8, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, (September 7), after being found guilty in July this year.
The assault took place on July 4, 2024, when Belasri approached a 16-year-old girl and her friends near the station.
He sat behind the victim, repeatedly touched her, and put his arms around her neck while trying to kiss her.
Despite the girl telling him to stop, Belasri continued, placing his arms over her shoulders and touching her breasts.
He then offered to buy the girls a vape if they followed him into an alley and performed a sex act on him.
One of the victim’s friends ran to Bishopsgate Police Station to report the assault.
Officers responded immediately and arrested Belasri at the scene.
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He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Detective Inspector Matthew Alexander, of the City of London Police Public Protection Unit, said: "I want to praise the victim and her friends for the bravery they have demonstrated in coming forward.
"Without her assistance we wouldn’t have been able to bring this case to court.
"We recognise that reporting offences of this nature can be difficult, and we would encourage anyone who has been affected, or who has concerns about the safety of another person, to contact police."
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