A man who sexually assaulted a woman after trapping her in a train toilet before assaulting a teenager only moments later has been jailed for six years.
Daniel Odubanjo, 27, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday, January 12, for one count of false imprisonment and two counts of sexual assault after being found guilty at an earlier trial.
Obudanjo, of King Avenue in Clapham, London, received six years in prison, was ordered to pay a victim surcharge and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
The order prohibits him being under the influence on public transport, at stations or on Network Rail property.
The court heard how Odubanjo repeatedly banged on a toilet door while it was engaged during an on-board service from Shenfield to Chelmsford on Friday 29 November, 2024.
The woman inside the toilet washed her hands before unlocking the door, expecting to find another passenger needing to use the facilities.
But instead, she came face to face with Odubanjo, who pushed her inside the cubicle, locked the door and grabbed her wrists before sexually assaulting her.
The woman, who was 21 at the time, managed to open the door and attempt to alert fellow passengers of the situation, but Odubanjo grabbed her and pulled her back into the cubicle where he continued the sexual assault as the woman screamed for help.
It was only when the woman lied about her age – telling Odubanjo she was 14 – that he let go of her.
Daniel Odubanjo (pictured) was sentenced to six years in prison after assaulting a woman when trapping her in a train toilet and then assaulting a teenager minutes later
Hatfield Peverel Station, where the British Transport Police arrested Odubanjo after one of his victims escaped and reported the incident to officers
The distressed woman approached a member of staff for assistance and left the train at Chelmsford where she reported what happened to the British Transport Police.
Only moments following the attack, Odubanjo then approached a 17-year-old girl boarding the service and sat opposite her, asking her a series of inappropriate questions before exposing himself.
When Odubanjo left to go to the toilet, the teenager moved seats closer to other passengers and explained to them what had happened.
However, when Odubanjo returned, he sat next to the girl and sexually assaulted her.
A nearby passenger then grabbed Odubanjo off the girl. At Hatfield Peverel Station, just outside Chelmsford, the train was met by BTP officers and Odubanjo was arrested at the scene.
Sergeant Hayley Whyte, of the force, has welcomed the conviction, noting: ‘Odubanjo preyed on a young woman and a teenage girl in terrifying attacks just minutes apart.
‘Both were left distressed and traumatised by the vile assaults he subjected them to.
‘Despite this, their courage and determination to see him brought to justice has resulted in a suitably lengthy prison sentence.
‘I commend their bravery, and that of the bystanders who intervened in the second attack.
‘If you experience or witness a sexual offence on-board a train or at a station, I urge you to report it to us by texting 61016, or dial 999 in an emergency.
‘Every report is taken seriously and we will take swift action to trace sexual offenders like Odubanjo and ensure they face justice.’
