Man charged after sexual assault in Long Eaton

A man has been charged in connection with a sexual assault in Long Eaton.

A sustained police response followed after reports were received that a woman had been sexually assaulted in Darwin Road in the town at around 12:45am on Sunday 14th July.

An earlier statement from Derbyshire Police said that the offender carried out the attack but was thought to have been disturbed by a nearby homeowner and ran off towards Eliot Close, before heading into an alleyway that runs between Wilsthorpe Road and Mannion Crescent.

Police officers subsequently increased patrols and asked people in a number of nearby streets to check CCTV footage from that date covering the period of the attack between 12:30am and 1:30am.  As well as further proactive patrols, a team of detectives have been working round the clock carrying out enquiries to find the man responsible.

During those enquiries, information was received that tied the man seen in the CCTV to the Coventry and Lancaster areas.  Subsequently, officers named Paul Jinks as the man that has now been charged with attempted rape. The 21-year-old, of no fixed address, was arrested on Tuesday evening in the Huntingdon areas of Cambridgeshire, on suspicion of rape, was remanded in custody and due to appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on Friday 26th July.

Detective Chief Inspector Claudia Musson, who is leading the investigation, described the attack as "...utterly sickening" and said that work had been carried out with colleagues both regionally and nationally to bring the offender to justice.

Chief Superintendent Emma Aldred said: “This incident has understandably shocked the community in Long Eaton – and I am pleased to say that we have arrested a man in connection with the incident. I would like to thank everyone who has come forward to support the investigation and provided footage."