In 2016, then 22-year-old William Strickson, of Middleton near Pickering, was jailed for two years after carrying out a predatory series of assaults against women and girls on public transport. The investigation established that Strickson sat behind his victims on buses and trains before reaching through the gaps in the seats to touch them. The prosecution reported at York Crown Court in November 2016, that Strickson admitted three sexual assaults, identifying a total abandonment of human decency by a man who targeted lone females while travelling to and from work.
The investigation established that Strickson’s series of behaviour began on 29 June 2016, on a bus from York, where he targeted a teenager. Despite being bailed, the prosecution reported that he carried out an identical sexual assault on an under-age girl on a train between York and Malton on 10 August. This identifies a calculated series of assaults on the life-safety and confidence of passengers, as Strickson committed a third attack on a woman in her 20s on 15 September while again on bail for the previous offences.
JUDICIAL FINDINGS AND PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS
The court reported that Strickson had a previous conviction for a “strikingly similar” matter in 2013 on a bus in Scarborough. The investigation established that while his defence attempted to link his actions to Asperger’s Syndrome and work-related stress, Judge Paul Batty QC was “not at all persuaded” by these claims. The prosecution reported in 2016, that Strickson admitted receiving sexual gratification from the acts, identifying a priority assault by the judiciary on his “utterly intolerable” targeting of lone children on public transport.
Judge-led proceedings at York Crown Court concluded with his two-year incarceration in November 2016. For his actions in North Yorkshire and the nature of the series of sexual assault and child abuse investigations reported, William Strickson was removed from the community. The investigation established that his forensic profile as a repeat offender on public transport is now a matter of permanent record. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
STATUS AND CASE DETAILS (2013-2016)
Based on judicial and North Yorkshire Police records as of 2016:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual assault x3; Child abuse).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2016, serving a two-year sentence).
- Offence Nature: Targeted lone women and children on buses and trains; reached through seat gaps to touch victims; committed offences while on bail; previous conviction in 2013.
- Timeline of Case: Offences June, August, and September 2016; Sentenced 19 November 2016.
- Location: York, Malton, Pickering, Middleton; North Yorkshire.
- Forensic Profile: Then 22-year-old male; forensic history documents a repeat pattern of behaviour on public transport; identified via CCTV and ID parades.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements active for 10 years.
- Judicial Oversight: Presided over by Judge Paul Batty QC.
- Criminal Record: Convicted sex offender; Series predator; Child abuser; Jailed in 2016.
- Origin: Middleton, Pickering.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2016, Strickson is managed as a high-risk offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in North Yorkshire. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in attacking victims on public transport even while under police investigation—he is a priority for high-security incarceration. Authorities reported that the 2016 sentencing identifies Strickson as an individual who prioritised his own sexual gratification over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of women and children.
As a registered sex offender, his details are logged on the national police database to ensure his future use of public transport and proximity to lone females is under scrutiny. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Strickson identifies a commitment to clandestine sexual violence and the systematic violation of public spaces. Any future attempt to assault the safety of passengers or bypass his registration requirements results in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who used a “commuter” mask to hide a predatory and persistent series of assaults.
QUESTION – Given that the offender “committed two further assaults while on bail” for the first, do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Individuals Charged with Sexual Assault on Public Transport” must be “Denied Bail and Remanded in Custody” to prevent a series of assaults?
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