Brighton beach sex pest lured women into the dark and attacked them

Mohamed Abdelsalam preyed on four young women by asking to use a lighter for his cigarette before harassing and touching them without consent.

The 25-year-old tried to lure the women to dark areas of Brighton beach between February 11 and February 25 last year.

His abuse included trying to bite one woman’s breast and kissing another woman on the neck before putting his hand inside her trousers in the final attack.

Abdelsalam was found guilty by a jury at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday for four counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.

The final woman, aged 21, was roller skating on the seafront but stopped for a cigarette which is when he sat next to her. They went on to the beach and the court heard the woman messaged friends so she could say an excuse to leave.

She described how Abdelsalam “pushed his face into her neck” and was “forceful”.

The woman cried as he put his hand inside her trousers and grabbed her breasts.

File image of Brighton seafront at night time in the area where Abdelsalam carried out his attacks (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

DNA evidence taken from her neck was a billion times more likely to have come from Abdelsalam than someone else.

Abdelsalam, who moved to Brighton from Leeds the month before the attacks, was arrested after one of the incidents on February 12. He approached a woman on the beach near Volk’s Railway asking for a lighter and started touching her leg.

She told him to “f****** leave her alone” and found two women walking along the seafront for her to walk with. He was arrested in the area and interviewed at Hollingdean Police Station and released.

“That sense of invincibility made him commit even more serious offences,” said Richard Hearnden, prosecuting.

“His behaviour and pattern of it got more serious as time went on.”

Abdelsalam chose not to stand up in court to give evidence. Christopher Prior, defending, offered no further evidence on behalf of Abdelsalam who denied all of the offences.

He sexually assaulted a 24-year-old woman on February 11 near the Palace Pier, a 28-year-old woman a day later near Volk’s Railway, a 19-year-old woman on February 16 near the i360 and a 21-year-old woman on February 25.

He will be sentenced at the same court on March 19.