A Manor Park man who preyed on lone women in darkness has been jailed for a series of sex offences in Newham.

Levi Auguste, 35, of Little Ilford Lane, was sentenced on Monday at Snaresbrook Crown Court to a total of 12 years’ imprisonment, with a requirement to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The offences were committed against eight victims between December 15 last year and January 9 - a Met spokesperson said Auguste methodically targeted females around a women’s refuge.

The eight women, aged between 27 and 64, gave statements to police detailing how Auguste had approached them as they walked alone during darkness.

They explained that he exposed himself to them and produced a sex toy.

One victim told police that Auguste attempted to force himself into her address with intent to commit sexual offences against her, while another victim said he forced her to perform sexual acts on him in the street.

A CCTV image of the suspect was identified and circulated amongst officers in the Met. This resulted in Auguste being identified and arrested on January 18.

Following a change of plea, he pleaded guilty at an earlier court appearance to seven counts of indecent exposure, one count of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Detective Constable Joshua Palmer, of North East CID, said: “I would like to commend the bravery of the victims in this case for coming forward to report this horrific behaviour.

“Auguste preyed on vulnerable lone women under the cover of darkness to commit these acts. Due to the overwhelming evidence against him, he had no choice but to plead guilty to the offences that he had committed.

“This case demonstrates that anyone who may have been a victim of a similar offence can be reassured that if they come forward to report such behaviour to the police, their complaint will be taken seriously and investigated fully by the Met.”