Abdulmanon Aliev, 50, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl as she travelled by train to London in June last year
An “abhorrent” predator has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl on a train.
Abdulmanon Aliev, 50, subjected the girl to a “prolonged” and “abhorrent” sexual assault as she travelled by train to London in June of last year, the British Transport Police (BTP) said.
The force said that on Thursday, jurors at Inner London Crown Court found Aliev guilty of two counts of assault by penetration, three counts of sexual assault and attempted rape.
It said the incident occurred on the afternoon of June 16 2025 when the teenager was travelling on a train from Southend, Essex, to the city.
Aliev, a Tajikistan national, sat opposite the teenager and tried to use a translator app on his mobile phone to speak to her. After she moved away from him, he followed her and sat beside her in an aisle seat meaning she was blocked in by the window.
The defendant then “forced himself” on the teenager and subjected her to a “prolonged sexual assault” until the service arrived at London, the BTP said.
She was able to get away from him at the station and boarded another train heading out of the city. The teenager reported what she endured to members of the public and the police were informed soon after.
The force launched an investigation to identify the perpetrator and looked through hours of CCTV footage to track his movements before and after the attack, it said. On June 27, more than a week after the incident, plain clothes officers spotted Aliev in Peckham, South London, and he was arrested.
Aliev – who is originally from Tajikistan but is now living on Rye Lane, South London – will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on June 17.
BTP Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill said: “Aliev singled out a vulnerable child and subjected her to one of the most abhorrent sexual assaults I’ve ever investigated.
“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.
“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.”
The BTP said specialist officers have been supporting the victim and her family throughout the investigation.
