The teenage boy who stabbed and sexually assaulted a number of schoolgirls in Thornton last autumn has been jailed.

The attacker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' imprisonment today (Friday, July 16) after the conclusion of a trial at Croydon Crown Court.

He had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, two counts of wounding with intent, common assault and assault by penetration. A count of robbery was made to lie on file.

As the Croydon Guardian reported last year, the boy stabbed two of his victims and sexually assaulted four others between November 2019 and November 2020 in Thornton Heath.

The attacks briefly sewed fear among communities in Thornton Heath and prompted a strong police response prior to the boy's arrest at home on November 8, 2020, following a police investigation which linked the six separate incidents together.

Read more: Teenager arrested after schoolgirls stabbed in Croydon

In one instance he sexually assaulted a teenage girl as she walked to a bus stop with her mother. When her mother intervened, he punched her.

In another incident he stabbed a girl in the leg as she walked along a road with her friend.

The defendant’s youngest victims were 13 years old.

Nathan Paine-Davey, from the CPS, said: "This teenager prowled the streets looking for young girls to attack as they made their way to school each morning. His actions were disturbing and incredibly concerning for the local community.

"Some victims were alone, while others were in the company of a friend or a parent – but this did not deter the defendant whose offending became more and more serious each time. Many of these young girls now fear going out alone and have suffered a terrible loss in confidence.

"The prosecution case included hours of CCTV footage pieced together along with DNA evidence and a digital search of the teenager’s mobile phone which showed that he had searched for news about one of his own knife attacks.

"I hope this conviction goes some way in reassuring the public that the CPS will work with the police to catch and prosecute those who commit violent and sexual crimes against young girls."