MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR SEX ATTACK
A man convicted of sexual assault, described by a judge as one of the most dangerous sex offenders in the nation, has received a life imprisonment sentence.Anthony Croft targeted a teenage girl after approaching her in bars within Blackpool town center during June of the previous year.
He bought her drinks and followed her persistently, even after she attempted to distance herself from him.
As she was walking home in the early hours, he re-emerged in the Claremont area of North Shore, having tracked her the entire way from the town center.
They reached an alley, where Croft suddenly attacked her and dragged her into a secluded corner, where he committed a sexual assault.
The victim valiantly fought him off and fled to a nearby residence for help, after which Croft quickly escaped.
Surveillance footage captured the assault, which the sentencing judge described as among the most disturbing he had encountered.
An investigation was launched, leading detectives to identify Croft through facial recognition technology and footage.
He was subsequently arrested in Liverpool.
Croft, aged 52 and without a fixed address, had just been released from prison a month prior after serving 21 years for child rape.
This week, he was sentenced to life imprisonment at Preston Crown Court for kidnapping and sexual assault, with a minimum term of eight years before he can be eligible for parole.
