BRIGHTON, UK – A 32-year-old man from the African nation of Eritrea was convicted and sentenced to 13 years and three months in jail for what the judge referred to as "sinister sex acts." Hanok Zeray had been living in the English coastal town of Brighton since 2021, when he entered the country illegally and applied for asylum status.
The judge in the case, Judge Martin Huseyin, told Zeray, “You carried out a very sinister and scary campaign of serious sexual assaults. It seems to me that women – particularly young lone women – are in real danger from you of serious harm from sexual offences in the future. That risk may be reduced in the future, but at the moment you pose a high risk.”
He will serve at least eight years and three months before being eligible for early release. The judge also stated that Zeray would likely be deported upon his release, if his asylum request was denied.
Testimony heard during the trial included statements that on more than one occasion, Zeray attacked at least two women in a single evening, according to a report in Breitbart News.
In a press release by the Sussex Police, authorities broke down the actions of the now-convicted sex offender, saying he assaulted at least six women in public spaces around Brighton’s City Center, all between April 16th and October 23rd, 2022.
Authorities began investigating after a woman reported being raped in the Old Steine. Zeray was arrested the following day on suspicion of rape. “He was released under investigation while evidence was collected to pursue a charge,” the statement read.
After his initial release, two more women reported being sexually assaulted on May 22nd. The assaults occurred in two different locations in the early morning hours. One of the women was chased by her attacker, and was able to get away by finally being able to lock herself in her apartment. Her attacker was identified as Zeray.
Another woman was able to film him attacking her and turned that video over to the police. They arrested Zeray again the following day. While he was jailed, three more women came forward.
On February 24, 2023, in Brighton Magistrates’ Court, Zeray pleaded guilty to all six counts of sexual assault and not guilty to rape. The rape charge was eventually dropped.
On July 21st, Zeray was sentenced to thirteen years and three months in prison.
In the Sussex Police release, Detective Constable Amy Pemberton-Hill said, “Hanok Zeray was a committed offender who presented a clear danger to lone women and girls. I would like to thank all these women for reporting his crimes to police and supporting the investigation through to prosecution. The streets of Brighton and Hoven are a safer place as a result.”
Furthermore, Superintendent Adele Tucknott, Sussex Police’s lead for violence against women and girls, said, “The behavior shown by Hanok Zeray will not be tolerated in Sussex – from the persistent harassment of women through to the sexual assaults for which he has been jailed.
Women and girls should be safe to walk the streets alone at any time of day or night without being targeted by predatory men. We have a range of measures to keep people safe at night and it is so important that any incidents are reported so we can take positive action.”
The judge in the case, Judge Martin Huseyin, told Zeray, “You carried out a very sinister and scary campaign of serious sexual assaults. It seems to me that women – particularly young lone women – are in real danger from you of serious harm from sexual offences in the future. That risk may be reduced in the future, but at the moment you pose a high risk.”
He will serve at least eight years and three months before being eligible for early release. The judge also stated that Zeray would likely be deported upon his release, if his asylum request was denied.
Testimony heard during the trial included statements that on more than one occasion, Zeray attacked at least two women in a single evening, according to a report in Breitbart News.
In a press release by the Sussex Police, authorities broke down the actions of the now-convicted sex offender, saying he assaulted at least six women in public spaces around Brighton’s City Center, all between April 16th and October 23rd, 2022.
Authorities began investigating after a woman reported being raped in the Old Steine. Zeray was arrested the following day on suspicion of rape. “He was released under investigation while evidence was collected to pursue a charge,” the statement read.
After his initial release, two more women reported being sexually assaulted on May 22nd. The assaults occurred in two different locations in the early morning hours. One of the women was chased by her attacker, and was able to get away by finally being able to lock herself in her apartment. Her attacker was identified as Zeray.
Another woman was able to film him attacking her and turned that video over to the police. They arrested Zeray again the following day. While he was jailed, three more women came forward.
On February 24, 2023, in Brighton Magistrates’ Court, Zeray pleaded guilty to all six counts of sexual assault and not guilty to rape. The rape charge was eventually dropped.
On July 21st, Zeray was sentenced to thirteen years and three months in prison.
In the Sussex Police release, Detective Constable Amy Pemberton-Hill said, “Hanok Zeray was a committed offender who presented a clear danger to lone women and girls. I would like to thank all these women for reporting his crimes to police and supporting the investigation through to prosecution. The streets of Brighton and Hoven are a safer place as a result.”
Furthermore, Superintendent Adele Tucknott, Sussex Police’s lead for violence against women and girls, said, “The behavior shown by Hanok Zeray will not be tolerated in Sussex – from the persistent harassment of women through to the sexual assaults for which he has been jailed.
Women and girls should be safe to walk the streets alone at any time of day or night without being targeted by predatory men. We have a range of measures to keep people safe at night and it is so important that any incidents are reported so we can take positive action.”
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