Predator jailed for attacking woman

A SERIAL sex predator has been jailed for eight years for stalking and attacking a woman in the street while on licence.

William Gordon, 34, had previous convictions for molesting females as young as 12 and had only recently been released from jail when he targeted his victim in south London early on August 6 last year.

He held the woman forcefully and ignored her pleas for him to leave her alone.

When she managed to break free, he ran after her, grabbed her from behind, pushed her against a wall and tried to cover her mouth to stop her screams, the court heard.

On his arrest, detectives discovered Gordon had been scouting for victims and had followed three other lone women that night.

He had also followed a woman a week before, police said.

Gordon denied wrongdoing and was found guilty at the Old Bailey of sexual assault, four counts of assault by penetration and two counts of common assault by beating.

Yesterday, Judge Sarah Munro QC jailed Gordon for eight years with a further five years on extended licence.

She told Gordon: “No female is safe from you and nor will they be for the foreseeable future.”

Describing it as an unusual case, the judge highlighted Gordon’s

19 previous conviction for 38 offences, mainly for drugs and sex crimes.

In 2014, he was convicted of battery after inviting a 16-yearold girl to a “photo shoot” and slapping her. He sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl by forcing her against a wall and touching her bottom. He was released on licence in April 2019 and was living in “approved accommodation” in Elephant and Castle at the time he attacked the woman last year.