MAN JAILED FOLLOWING SEXUAL ASSAULT SPREE
A man responsible for sexual assaults on four women and stalking another over a five-month period across the UK rail network has been convicted and sentenced following an investigation by the British Transport Police (BTP).Craig Anthony Anderson, aged 38 (born 14 May 1987), who was without a fixed address, received a sentence of one year and ten months in prison on 23 March at The Old Bailey.
After a trial held in January, he was found guilty of four counts of Sexual Assault and one count of Stalking.
In addition to his prison sentence, Anderson was handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which restricts him from approaching, sitting near, or standing close to lone women, among other prohibitions.
He also received two restraining orders.
The court detailed how Anderson engaged in a wave of sexual misconduct from June to October 2025, targeting solitary women travelling through London and nearby areas.
On 14 June last year, shortly before 4 pm at Bank Underground Station, Anderson followed a young woman up the stairs and initiated unwanted conversations, asking for her name and phone number before commenting that she looked "sexy".
He asked her to leave him alone, but then sexually assaulted her.
As he walked away, he stuck his tongue out at her, laughed, and proceeded through the station.
A little over a week later, on 26 June, Anderson attempted to converse with another woman on a train at Guildford, seeking her social media details.
They exchanged numbers, but he began harassing her via text messages over the following weeks.
When she declined to meet him, Anderson followed her from Epsom station onto a train to Victoria on 15 July, verbally abusing her and trying to snatch her belongings.
He continued to tail her until she hid in the toilets at Canary Wharf to avoid him.
He then repeatedly sent her sexual messages and images until his arrest in early October 2025.
On the morning of 2 August, Anderson approached a woman leaving Liverpool Street station, tapping her arm to ask about her destination and trying to obtain her social media accounts, which she refused.
He insisted she was being difficult and said he wanted to touch her, then assaulted her sexually before leaving.
A few weeks later, on 29 August at Westminster Underground station, Anderson approached a woman asking for directions to Finchley, followed her onto the escalator, and sexually assaulted her, then laughed and exited the station.
On 6 October at Purley railway station, Anderson asked a woman for directions to Gatwick Airport and engaged her in conversation, asking personal questions.
They boarded the same train, and he sat next to her.
He requested her phone number and email, which she declined, and when he asked what she would do if he tried to kiss her, she threatened to report him to the police.
He responded by sexually assaulting her, blocking her escape, but she eventually got off the train at Redhill station.
BTP authorities identified Anderson through CCTV footage, and he was recognized by the victims during an identification parade.
He was detained during an interview at the Passport Office, claiming he planned to leave the UK soon.
During transit to custody, while under caution, Anderson made derogatory remarks about the women and initially denied being at the assault locations, despite CCTV evidence confirming his presence.
