Surrey: Oyster card used to catch sexual predator – police

Andrii Melnyk fled the scene after assaulting the 18-year-old, police said

A man has been jailed for the sexual assault of a teenager after being identified by his Oyster card.

Andrii Melnyk, of Harvard Road, Chiswick, west London, will spend four-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday to two charges of sexual assault.

The 30-year-old will also be on the sexual offenders register for life.

The assault happened in Short Lane, Staines, on 2 April.

Melnyk assaulted the 18-year-old after they both got off a bus at about 06:00 BST, Surrey Police said.

The "sexual predator" had grabbed the woman and they both fell to the ground, a police spokesperson said.

Melnyk was found after officers looked through bus CCTV footage and matched him to a description given to them, along with cross-referencing an Oyster card that was used.

When officers searched his home they found clothing matching that seen in the CCTV footage including a pair of mud-stained jeans.

Det Con Katherine Peters said: "This was a complex investigation that involved many different lines of enquiries including forensics, intel, witness testimonies and CCTV.

"The survivor was extremely brave and displayed enormous resilience throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Thanks to her, a dangerous man is now off the streets and in prison where he belongs."

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