A sexual predator has been jailed after he was caught returning to the scene of one of his many crimes while a victim was there with the cops.<br /><br />On 16th December, Domenico Anselmo, 27, was sentenced to four years in prison in connection with a series of sexual offenses in the west of Essex and across the border into Hertfordshire.<br /><br />The Essex Police said in a statement on 16th December: “The result follows a joint investigation by officers and detectives across our teams in the West, supported by officers from Hertfordshire Police.”<br /><br />He pleaded guilty to 17 offenses committed between January 2017 and May 2021 on paths along the River Lea.<br /><br />Anselmo subjected a total of 13 women to physical assaults, indecent exposure, and both on some occasions.<br /><br />The Essex Police said: “In May of this year, the investigation team asked the women Anselmo targeted to accompany officers to the location of each offense, to install additional CCTV cameras in the area.<br /><br />“One of the women had been walking home along Dobbs Weir Road in July 2020 when she was assaulted.”<br /><br />Unexpectedly, Anselmo returned to the scene just as she finished showing officers where it happened.<br /><br />The victim said: “It had been a long time since the incident happened to me, so I’d honestly given up on the possibility of him being identified.<br /><br />“When the officers asked me to show them exactly where it happened, I didn’t really think anything would come of it.<br /><br />“Afterwards, as I turned round to wave goodbye, I saw this man riding a pushbike heading towards me.<br /><br />“I thought to myself ‘I recognize that bike’ and that’s when the realization suddenly set in.<br /><br />“I felt really panicked as I didn’t want to walk back past him to alert the officers, but luckily one of them caught my eye and must have seen my distress.<br /><br />“They came over to ask what was wrong and that’s when I told them ‘that’s him!<br /><br />“Even now, I still find it completely unbelievable that it happened when it happened... It was perfect timing.”
