CCTV image of man police want to speak to after sexual assault

Merseyside Police have released a CCTV image of a man who could have ‘vital’ information about a reported sexual assault in St Helens. It was reported that between 2.15am and 3.30am on Sunday August 18 that a woman was sexually assaulted on Ormskirk Street.

After the incident, the offender walked away towards Claughton Street and College Street and the victim was 'traumatised' by the incident. Extensive CCTV and witness enquiries have been conducted since.

Now, detectives have issued a CCTV image of a man they believe could help with its investigation. Detective inspector Jimmy Rotheram said: “This was a very serious crime where the victim was left stunned by the offender’s action. I would like to reassure the public that incidents such as this are rare, and we will not tolerate such behaviour being committed.

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“We take reports of sexual assault very seriously, and we are very keen to speak with the man featured in the images to help with our enquiries. This was a traumatic experience for the victim, and we are working hard to ensure that the person responsible is identified.

“I am appealing to the man featured in this image, or anyone who recognises him to please contact us. We believe he could hold information that could be vital to our continuing enquiries.”

If you have information on this incident, you can contact @MerPolCC on X/Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference 24000722847.

You can also call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. To report a sexual offence call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers. Alternatively, you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind, support is available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service, delivered jointly by two registered charities.

In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801.

In St Helens and Knowsley, this is provided by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.

For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces, the Home Office has set up a pilot service called StreetSafe. Anyone can anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe.

This can be because of environmental issues, such as street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, such as being followed or verbally abused. StreetSafe is not for reporting crime or incidents.

If something has happened to you or someone you know, including in public spaces online, you can call 101 or find out what online reporting services are available at StreetSafe via the police.uk website.