A serial sexual predator who carried out a “horror” attack on a stranger had been set free from prison despite posing a known risk to women and girls, a court heard.
William Gordon, 34, was released just weeks before he stalked a series of women in south London late at night while “scouting” for a victim.
When he struck, Gordon pinned a woman against an alleyway wall as he sexually assaulted her and, after she broke free, chased her down to continue the attack.
The victim told the Old Bailey she was filled with “revulsion and horror” after the attack on August 5 last year.
The court heard Gordon had been jailed in 2015 for drugs offences, and while in custody was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman and grabbing a 12-year-old girl’s bottom.
In 2017 he was also convicted of sexually assaulting a female prison guard, meaning his total prison sentence was due to run until September 2023.
However, Gordon became eligible for early release halfway through his sentence and was automatically set free from jail in April last year. Released on licence, he was in “approved” accommodation when he committed the latest offences.
Jailing Gordon on Monday for eight years, Judge Sarah Munro QC told him: “No female is safe from you and nor will they be for the foreseeable future.” She ordered that he spend five years on licence once released.
Prosecutor Edward Lucas said police recovered CCTV of Gordon trailing and photographing women a week before the attack, and he had been seen stalking three other women on the night he struck. “He was scouting the local area for people to sexually assault”, he said.
Gordon, of Elephant and Castle, was convicted at trial of sexual assault, four charges of assault by penetration, and two of assault. He denied the charges and still protests his innocence over his previous sexual offending. He will serve two thirds of his new jail sentence.
