Officers on patrol in Wantage arrested a 39-year-old from Wantage on suspicion of rape and two sexual assaults. He is currently in police custody as of Friday night.
At around 11.15pm on Tuesday, January 27, a woman in her late teens was approached by an unknown man riding a bicycle while she was walking alone along Grove Road, police say.
After speaking briefly with her, she was led towards an area behind Mably Way, where she was said to have been raped.
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The suspect then left the area on his bicycle, which is described as black in colour, travelling towards the traffic lights near Lidl.
The victim is being supported by specially trained officers, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said.
The suspect is described as a man of mixed ethnic background, believed to be in his mid-30s, approximately 5ft 6ins tall, with short black hair.
Officers are also investigating one sexual assault and one attempted sexual assault reported in the area last week and are keeping an open mind as to whether there may be any link to the rape reported on Tuesday, January 27.
The sexual assault occurred at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, January 21, a woman in her late 20s was approached by an unknown man in Cane Lane, Grove.
After a brief interaction, the woman continued walking along Main Street towards Grove Garage. The man then followed her and sexually assaulted her.
The offender is described as a man of mixed ethnic background, believed to be in his 50s, approximately 5ft 7ins tall, and had slight stubble facial hair.
The attempted sexual assault occurred between 11.50pm and midnight on Saturday, January 24), when a woman in her 40s was walking alone along Mayfield Avenue, Grove, near Oxford Lane.
She noticed a lone man on the opposite side of the road. The man followed the victim and crossed the road before attempting to sexually assault her.
The suspect is described as a man of mixed ethnic background, approximately 5ft 6ins tall, and had acne scarring on his face.
Detective chief inspector Stuart May, who is leading this investigation, said: “I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support and the information they have already provided to us since we made a public appeal yesterday.
“it is positive that we have now made an arrest, but I would continue to urge the public to come forward with any information that may support our investigation as it really does help.
“Our investigation continues at a pace, with additional officers deployed across the area to complete enquiries and provide visible reassurance patrols so if you have any information, questions or concerns then please speak to them.”
PCC Matthew Barber (Image: Contributed)
Police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber said: “I’ve been speaking to the chief constable and senior commanders this evening.
“Some excellent police work behind the arrest. The investigation continues, and more information will be released as appropriate.”
Anyone with information should call 101 or report online, quoting the reference number 43260044490.