Train predator convicted after sustained sexual attack on schoolgirl bound for London

What happened on the Southend service
A 50-year-old man from Peckham has been convicted of a string of serious sexual offences after carrying out what detectives have described as one of the worst attacks of its kind they have investigated, against a 13-year-old girl travelling alone on a train into the capital.
Abdulmanon Aliev, a Tajikistan national, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday of two counts of assault by penetration, three of sexual assault and one of attempted rape. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 17 June.
The attack took place on the afternoon of 16 June 2025, on a service running from Southend into London. Aliev initially took a seat opposite the schoolgirl and attempted to engage her in conversation using a translation app on his phone. Unsettled, she moved to another part of the carriage. He followed her, hemmed her into a two-seat row by the window, and assaulted her over a sustained period.
The girl eventually managed to get away when the train pulled into Fenchurch Street, where she disembarked and boarded another service heading out of London. She was later found in a distressed state by members of the public, who alerted the British Transport Police.
Why it took 11 days to make an arrest
Aliev was not detained at the scene, and what followed was an 11-day search culminating in his arrest by plain-clothes officers in Peckham. When detectives searched his home on Rye Lane, they recovered the clothing he had been wearing on the day of the assault, evidence that formed part of a substantial case file passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Recognition for a young victim’s courage
In the wake of the verdict, British Transport Police Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill paid tribute to the teenager whose account underpinned the prosecution. “Aliev singled out a vulnerable child and subjected her to one of the most abhorrent sexual assaults I’ve ever investigated,” she said. “While the focus of attention will rightly be on him as the despicable sexual predator that he is, I want to pay tribute to the brave victim who reported him to police.”
DC Cahill added: “This verdict would not have been possible without her account of what happened and her willingness to support our investigation. We take every sexual offence report extremely seriously, and we’ll stop at nothing to put offenders like Aliev before the courts.“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​