Local man gets seven years on sex offenders' register
A 22-year-old man from south-west London has been placed on the sex offenders’ register and given a suspended jail sentence after sexually assaulting a woman on board a train at Clapham Junction.
Borja De Zuloaga, of Wimbledon, struck on Friday 31st October last year. The victim, a 26-year-old woman, boarded a crowded train with a colleague at Imperial Wharf around 7.30pm.
While she stood she felt someone brushing their hand over her dress across her left buttock area. Initially the victim thought this was an accident, but then felt fingers of the hand pressing into her left thigh area over her tights. The hand then moved under her dress and was stroking her left buttock over her tights.
The woman tried to move to avoid contact with De Zuloaga, but his hand remained in place. De Zuloaga’s hand then moved across to her right buttock and he started to grope it again under her dress, but over her tights.
As the train arrived at Clapham Junction, and people started to get off, the victim could still feel the hand on her buttocks. She twisted to her left and reached behind her, grabbing hold of De Zuloaga’s wrists, and removed his hand from touching her. He then pulled his hand away and went past the woman and left the train.
Detective constable Andrew Parkinson said: “This was repulsive behaviour by De Zuloaga on a very busy and crowded train. He took advantage of the space that he was in and assaulted his victim. I am pleased he has been bought to justice.”
As well as being placed on the sex offenders' register, De Zuloaga was also sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, ordered to pay £120 compensation to the victim and £85 in costs. He was also banned from working with children and given a 12 month supervision order.
Officers identified De Zuloaga through CCTV images following an investigation by British Transport Police.
Borja De Zuloaga was sentenced at Wimbledon magistrates’ court on 13th January, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing on 13th December.
January 28, 2015
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