A former Bristol City footballer has been jailed for rape and attempted rape following separate attacks against two women.
Alhaji Sesay, 22, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for two counts of attempted rape, one in London and one in Bristol, and another of rape in London.
The former professional goalkeeper, who has also played for Sierra Leone, was described as a “predatory sexual offender” by police after the sentencing hearing on Wednesday at Bristol Crown Court.
His four-week trial heard how the first incident took place at a nightclub in Bristol city centre on 11 July 2019.
CCTV footage shows Sesay entering the women’s toilets, where he approached his victim and pushed her against the wall before sexually assaulting her and attempting to make her perform a sex act on him.
Security staff were told and detained Sesay, of Greenwich, southeast London, until the police arrived.
During his interview, the 22-year-old claimed he had gone into the toilets “looking for a woman he had kissed earlier in the night” and denied assaulting anyone. He was then released pending further enquiries.
The second and third offences happened inside a bar in Enfield, north London, on 30 August last year.
Police were called to reports of a woman being pushed into a cubicle of the women’s toilets by a man who attempted to rape her and then forced her to perform a sex act on him.
Sesay fled the bar after carrying out the attack, but came back after being encouraged by friends to hand himself in.
He was arrested but claimed the woman had consented to what happened. Sesay was then remanded in custody and charged with the three offences.
Despite pleading not guilty on all counts, he was found guilty and sentenced to four years for the attempted rape in Bristol and six years each for the rape and attempted rape in London.
He was found not guilty of another rape relating to a separate incident in Bristol. The sentences for his London crimes will run concurrently.
Following a joint investigation between Met Police and Avon and Somerset Police, DC Toby Hayes of Bristol CID said: “Alhaji Sesay is a predatory sexual offender who would brazenly target women at random at nightclubs.
“CCTV footage gathered during the police investigations showed him going into female toilets, where he carried out his attacks.
“The victims have all been through a harrowing experience. I want to pay tribute to their incredible bravery and courage for reporting the offences committed against them.”
He added that “due to the nature of Sesay’s offending, it’s possible there are other victims out there”, and urged them to come forward.
DC Kim Davies, of the Met Police’s public protection team, added: “The actions of Alhaji Sesay were clearly that of a predator.
“He has on two separate occasions subjected women to violent acts in what should be a safe and private space.
“He has shown no remorse for his deplorable behaviour and the verdict is welcomed as it highlights that there is a price to be paid by those committing sexual offences, and that price is their freedom.”
Cover image – Metropolitan Police
©Sky News
