An Afghan national has been charged with rape, kidnap, and sexual assault after attacks on two women in the historic market towns of Wantage and Grove, near Oxford.
Najeebullah Arab, 39, of Mayfield Avenue, has been charged with one count of kidnap, one count of rape and one count of sexual assault, Thames Valley Police confirmed.
They said a woman had been kidnapped and raped near Mably Way in Wantage, Oxfordshire, on January 27.
Another woman was sexually assaulted on Cane Lane on January 21, the force added.
“Najeebullah Arab is an Afghanistan national. He did not self-define his ethnicity when he came into police custody,” a spokesman said.
Arab has been remanded in police custody and will appear at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The first reported attack, at 9.30pm on Wednesday, January 21, was on a woman in her late 20s.
After she was reportedly approached and had a brief interaction with the perpetrator, the woman continued walking along Main Street, police said.
Najeebullah Arab will appear at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday
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The man followed her and sexually assaulted her, it was claimed.
The second incident Arab is charged with is said to have occurred at around 11.15pm on January 27, when a woman in her late teens was approached by an unknown man riding a bike while she was walking alone along Grove Road.
Police confirmed the man briefly spoke with her before leading her towards an area behind Mably Way, where she was raped.
The offender then allegedly fled the scene on his bike.
One attack occurred on Grove Road, in Wantage
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Thames Valley Police said Arab was also arrested on suspicion of sexual assault of a woman on Oxford Lane on January 24.
The attack, officers said, occurred between 11.50pm and midnight when a woman in her 40s was walking alone on Mayfield Avenue.
She is said to have noticed a lone man on the opposite side of the road, who followed her, crossing the road before attempting to sexually assault her.
The investigation for this case remains ongoing and Arub has not been charged for this.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart May, leading the investigation, said: “I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support and the information they have already provided to us since we made a public appeal yesterday.
“It is positive that we have now made an arrest, but I would continue to urge the public to come forward with any information that may support our investigation as it really does help.
“Our investigation continues at a pace, with additional officers deployed across the area to complete enquiries and provide visible reassurance patrols so if you have any information, questions or concerns then please speak to them.”