Police hope e-fit will trap “Trophy Rapist”
His latest victim, a 14-year-old girl, was the first to catch a glimpse of him and helped police to compile the image. The youngster was dragged into undergrowth and raped in Stevenage, Herts, on October 25.
The computerised image, described as an "extremely good likeness" of the rapist who often takes a personal item from his victim, was released by police yesterday. The image shows a slightly chubby-faced man with receding, dark cropped hair, tanned skin and stubble.
Speaking at a press conference in Guildford, Surrey, Detective Chief Inspector Tim Stephens, of Hertfordshire Police, who is leading the investigation into the latest attack, said that the "brave" teenager had seen the man's light green or blue eyes as he grabbed her from behind.
Mr Stephens said: "She caught a glimpse of him at the first stage of the attack on her. It's taken her an amount of time to compile this. We're satisfied this is an extremely good likeness." Police are hoping the image may jog the memory of anyone who has had dealings with him for instance, a girlfriend, work colleague or medical or prison service professional.
More than 100 police officers from Surrey, Berkshire, London, Hertfordshire and Kent are working to catch the man who has carried out attacks over a year. Detective Superintendent Mark Warwick, of Thames Valley Police, said the inquiry team were liaising with forces around the country but had not yet made any links with sex attacks further north. Mr Warwick said the rapist, who grabs his victims from behind to hide his face, was a "risk-taker" and this led to the latest development: "That's part of his method. By taking risks at some point in time, he's going to slip up and give information away."
He said it was possible he had struck before his first known attack in Ashford, Kent, in November, when he raped his youngest victim, a girl of 10.
