Sex offender locked up thanks to CCTV footage
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Key CCTV footage has led to a convicted sex offender being jailed for more than seven years.
Cameras tracked Emil Emilov’s movements through Leicester city centre moments after he sexually assaulted a woman on the morning of Sunday 28 May last year.
The incident happened shortly after 5am as the victim – a 19-year-old woman – made her way home from working in a bar. Twenty-five-year-old Emilov approached her in New Walk and dragged her into a bush, where he gagged and sexually assaulted her.
He ran from the scene when a group of people walked past. The victim reported the incident to police and an investigation, led by the force’s Signal team, began.
CCTV of the area was examined that showed Emilov running from the scene, eventually making his way back to his home in Rosebery Street in North Evington. Footage also showed him discard the cloth he had used to gag the victim.
Footage shows Emilov leaving the scene and later discarding a cloth he used
Further enquiries revealed that Emilov – a Bulgarian national – had left the UK. He returned on 6 November and was immediately arrested on his arrival at Luton Airport. A DNA sample taken from him matched those found on the cloth and the victim’s tights.
In December last year, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault by penetration.
Yesterday (Thursday 18 April), he was sentenced to 88 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court and was also placed on the sex offender register for life.
Emil Emilov
Detective Inspector Simon Preston, from Signal, said: “Emilov’s actions were undoubtedly predatory and I hope the public can take some reassurance from the fact he’s now serving time in prison because I believe had he not been caught, then he might have gone on to offend again.
“This was a complex, in-depth investigation that meant piecing together his movements after the incident occurred. Credit must go to the team for their efforts in building a case that meant he had no option but to admit what he’d done.
Detective Constable Lewis McMenamin, the investigating officer, said: “I hope the victim in this case, who has shown a lot of bravery in providing information that has helped secure his conviction, can take some relief from this outcome and that it’ll allow her to move on with her life.
“I hope that the immense strength she has shown during this investigation can inspire other victims of sexual abuse to come forward.”
- There are several different agencies who can offer independent help and support to victims of sexual offences in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
- Further information on these services and details on who to contact if you have been a victim of a sexual offence can be found by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/advice/rape-sexual-assault-and-other-sexual-offences