A 17-year-old has been convicted of a series of sex attacks on women who were walking their dogs in a south London park.
The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was found guilty on Wednesday of three counts of sexual assault, two counts of theft and one count of robbery.
Four separate women reported they had been sexually assaulted and/or robbed by a man while they walked their dogs through South Norwood Country Park between May 3 and July 21.
All of the victims were aged between 45 and 63 and were alone at the time of the incidents, police said.
Detectives launched an appeal following after the women reported the attacks and additional patrols were put in place in the area.
The defendant was eventually arrested at his home address after CCTV footage analysis led to his identification, Metropolitan Police said.
A sim card registered to him was later found to have been used in a phone stolen from one of the victims.
He was given a 12-month Youth Rehabilitation Order at Wimbledon Youth Court on Thursday.
A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was also imposed on the teenager for 12 months. The SHPO requirements mean he will not be able to go out in open spaces unaccompanied.
Detective Constable Kathlyn Stanley-Quist, who led the investigation, said: “The defendant in this case brazenly targeted women who were alone in a park they used regularly – a community space in which they should have felt safe.
“These victims were left traumatised by these attacks and have had to relive their experiences again during this trial.
“This was a complex and fast-moving investigation in which the team trawled through hours of CCTV. This ultimately led to the identification of the victim. We are also grateful to those members of the public who assisted us in identifying and locating the defendant so quickly.
“We hope this conviction brings the victims in this case some form of closure and demonstrates our commitment to getting dangerous individuals off the streets of London.”
