Man jailed for sexually assaulting child on train – Essex

A Tajikistan national who subjected a 13-year-old girl to an “abhorrent” sexual assault on a train has been jailed for 12 years.

The sentence follows an investigation led by British Transport Police (BTP) detectives from its Major, Serious and Organised Crime (MSOC) team. 

Abdulmanon Aliev, aged 50, originally from Tajikistan but now of Rye Lane, South London, was found guilty in April of Attempted Rape, two counts of Assault by Penetration and three counts of Sexual Assault.

At Inner London Crown Court on 23 June, a judge sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, plus a two-year extended licence period.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.   

Jurors heard that on the afternoon of 16 June 2025, the young girl was travelling on a Southend to London train.

During the journey she was approached by Aliev who sat opposite her and attempted to use a translator app on his phone to speak to her.

She then moved away from him to sit elsewhere, but he followed and sat next to her in an aisle seat, blocking her in by the window.

Aliev then forced himself upon the victim and subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault until the service arrived at London Fenchurch Street station where she was able get away from him and alight the train.

The victim boarded another train heading back out of London, leaving Aliev behind at the station.

She bravely reported what she endured to members of the public who encountered her in a distressed state, and the police were informed shortly after.

BTP detectives launched an urgent investigation to identify Aliev, trawling hours of CCTV footage to track his movements before and after the attack.

The manhunt ended on 27 June when plain clothes officers spotted him in Peckham, South London, and he was immediately arrested.

His home address was searched, and officers located and seized the clothes he was wearing on the day of the attack.

A comprehensive file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and charges were authorised the following day.  

Specialist officers have supported the victim and her family throughout the investigation.

BTP Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill said: “Aliev singled out a vulnerable child and subjected her to one of the most abhorrent sexual assaults I’ve ever investigated.

“While the focus of attention will rightly be on him as the despicable sexual predator that he is, I want to pay tribute to the brave victim who reported him to police.

“His conviction and 12-year jail term would not have been possible without her account of what happened and her willingness to support our investigation.

“We take every sexual offence report extremely seriously, and we’ll stop at nothing to ensure vile offenders like Aliev are put behind bars where they belong.”