Surrey sex attacker caught by police because of his Oyster card

Andrii Melnyk, 30, of Harvard Road, Chiswick, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail at Reading Crown Court today (January 17) after pleading guilty to sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by touching. He will also be on the sexual offenders register for life.

Police say the attack happened on April 2 at around 6am in Staines and involved Melnyk following the victim after they got off the same bus, grabbing her by the arm and attempting to pull her trousers down. The victim then fell over and Melynk fell on top of her, after which he sexually assaulted her.

The 18-year-old victim managed to fight him off and shout for help before seeking assistance from a nearby taxi driver who rang the police. Melynk then fled the scene.

He was was later identified as the attacker after officers trawled through the CCTV on the bus and matched him to the suspect description. By cross-referencing the Oyster card used on the bus, Melynk was successfully identified as the user.

Investigating oficer DC Katherine Peters, said after the hearing: “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.

“If you have been the victim of sexual assault, we would urge you to report it to us; we will listen to you and will do everything we can to find and bring the perpetrator to justice.”