A man has been charged and remanded in custody following a series of incidents in Crawley.
On the evening of 30 June, a man was reported to be sexually assaulting, threatening and racially harassing staff and customers at a pub in Maidenbower Drive, Crawley.
Shamrez Akhtar, 44, of no fixed address, was arrested the same evening on suspicion of the offences and released under investigation pending further enquiries.
Further contact to police was made on Saturday 6 July and Sunday 7 July when women reported being targeted by a man who subjected them to sexualised comments in the Three Bridges area.
Akhtar was arrested on Wednesday 10 July and charged later that evening with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of common assault, racially aggravated harassment, using threatening/insulting language, and with making threats to commit criminal damage.
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 11 July, Akhtar was remanded in custody pending his next court appearance on 8 August.
Detective Chief Inspector Pauline Lane said: “No one should ever have to tolerate sexual assault, racial harassment, or any form of crime in our community.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to enhancing safety and protecting the public, rigorously investigating all reports to make Crawley a safer and more welcoming place for everyone.”
