Teenager sent to young offenders institute after pleading guilty to sex attacks on women in Chester

An 18-year-old man who caught up to women walking ahead of him and sexually assaulted them has been jailed.

George Watts committed all of the assaults near to his home on Pensby Avenue, Chester.

At around 7pm on Wednesday 18 April he grabbed an 18-year-old woman from behind on Neston Drive, Newton, Chester, and thrust his groin into her before running away.

The following month Watts grabbed a 26-year-old woman in a headlock from behind and kissed her several times on the cheek.

He let go of her and ran away after she bit his arm in the incident which took place on Shepherds Lane, Newton, Chester, at around 6.30pm on Thursday 10 May.

Watts’ third victim, a 40-year-old woman, was shaken aggressively back and forth after he put his hands on her shoulders from behind as she walked along Bache Drive, Upton, Chester, at around 11.50am on Wednesday 11 July.

He then wrapped his arms around her and thrust his groin into her before running away.

At around 8.30pm on Saturday 21 July Watts ran towards a 25-year-old woman on Neston Drive, Newton, Chester, with both his hands up. He tried to grab her by the neck and ran away as she began to scream and shout.

Watts was captured on CCTV walking behind the 25-year-old prior to the incident and clothes matching the descriptions given by the victims, who were all from Chester, were found at his home.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault and was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 22 August to 16 months in a young offenders’ institution.

Watts was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Sergeant Andrew Davies, of the Chester Local Policing Unit, said:

“Watts subjected his victims to terrifying ordeals.

“They were all walking alone in Chester when he targeted them to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

“Being grabbed from behind by a stranger and sexually assaulted is the stuff of nightmares and I cannot praise the victims enough for their bravery in reporting their ordeals to the police.

“Thanks to their bravery and the hard work of officers Watts is now behind bars facing the consequences of his actions.

“I hope that the custodial sentence that has been handed down to Watts deters others from committing similar offences.”