Man who sexually assaulted teenage girl in Epping is convicted

A man who sexually assaulted and harassed a 14-year-old girl in Epping has been convicted.

Hadush Kebatu, 41, also sexually assaulted an adult woman – with his actions taking place over a two-day period earlier this year.

The offences were charged swiftly by the CPS’ out-of-hours division and a robust evidential case saw Kebatu found guilty.

Rebecca Mundy, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor with CPS East of England, said:

“This was an incident which became a cause of deep concern for the local community.

“Our prosecutors worked carefully and impartially to bring this case to justice according to the law.

“Close and effective collaboration between Essex Police and our out-of-hours prosecution team ensured Kebatu was promptly arrested, charged and remanded.

“The CPS is determined to pursue justice for victims, working with our law enforcement partners to hold sex offenders accountable.”

How the crime unfolded

On the afternoon of 7 July 2025, Kebatu tried to kiss the young girl on a bench in Epping High Street before asking her to kiss him, whilst making sexually explicit comments.

The following afternoon, Kebatu encountered the same girl and again repeatedly tried to kiss her before sexually assaulting her. He made further sexually explicit requests of the girl, who informed him of her age and was wearing her school uniform in both encounters.

Shortly before this, Kebatu had sexually assaulted and attempted to kiss an adult woman who had offered him assistance crafting a CV.

Upon seeing Kebatu interacting with the child, she notified police and he was arrested.

Building the case

Charges against Kebatu were authorised promptly by prosecutors with CPS Direct – the CPS’ out-of-hours service – before being taken forward by prosecutors in the CPS’ East of England Area.

Challenging Kebatu’s not guilty plea at trial, prosecutors used video evidence intertwined with strong witness testimony to prove his guilt.

Both victims, who were unknown to each other, provided strikingly similar accounts of the actions and words Kebatu used.

The CPS also applied for special measures at trial to ensure the victims had as much support as possible during the trial process.

Following a two-day trial held at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts, Kebatu was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, and one count each of attempted sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment.