November 2020 Pervert jogger groped girls then smirked as he ran away A paedophile jogger who groped girls’ bottoms smirked at his traumatised victims as he ran away. Simon Murawski, 31, of Sandhurst Street, Aigburth, was spared jail in 2018 after he was caught with a sickening stash of child sex abuse images. Yet just over a year later he started targeting teenage victims when out running near his mum’s home in Warrington. A court heard it was “gravely concerning” that his behaviour escalated to the “predatory” attacks earlier this year. But the creep claimed he didn’t do it for sexual pleasure and was “playing a game and seeking an adrenaline rush”. Liverpool Crown Court heard Murawski targeted an 18-year-old woman on London Road, in Stockton Heath, at 11am, on January 2. Anna Price, prosecuting, said the victim was walking alone when he grabbed her buttocks, then jogged off without saying a word. Ms Price said: “She was upset and angry that her sense of safety in the area where she grew up had been damaged and she felt violated.” Minutes later, smirking Murawski grabbed the bottom of a 17-year-old girl, just before the victim’s mum arrived in her car. They followed the jogger and her mum confronted him outside Broomfields Leisure Centre, but he denied doing anything. The “very upset” victim no longer likes to walk outside alone, instead asks for lifts from family, and has suffered nightmares. Murawski struck again at midday on January 5, groping the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl, who was walking along Westbourne Road with two friends. The shocked group of girls all described Murawski smirking and later picked him out in an identity parade. That same month Cheshire Police released a CCTV image of the suspect and appealed for information. However, Murawski – who was staying with his mum in the Appleton area – returned home to Liverpool on January 8. He then went on holiday to Italy with his mum, but failed to tell the police, in breach of his notification requirements as a sex offender. Murawski, who lied to an officer on the phone by claiming he had reported his travel plans, returned to Appleton on March 28. Five days later, at 5.50pm on April 1, he squeezed the bottom of a 15-year-old girl, who was walking along Cann Lane. Ms Price said: “She said what scared her most was the man looked so normal and appeared to act in a way he felt was normal.” Murawski groped another 15-year-old girl, who was out with her mum walking their dog on Cann Lane, at 7pm on April 8. The girl was also left anxious about going out on her own, until she heard he had been arrested. The next day an officer out looking for the jogger spotted and arrested Murawski, whose home was searched, when a small bag of cannabis was found. He gave two “no comment” interviews before denying responsibility in a third interview. Murawski denied two counts of sexual assault – claiming he had been misidentified – in a four-day trial. He was convicted by a jury and later pleaded guilty to a further three counts of sexual assault. Murawski groped another 15-year-old girl, who was out with her mum walking their dog on Cann Lane, at 7pm on April 8. The girl was also left anxious about going out on her own, until she heard he had been arrested. The next day an officer out looking for the jogger spotted and arrested Murawski, whose home was searched, when a small bag of cannabis was found. He gave two “no comment” interviews before denying responsibility in a third interview. Murawski denied two counts of sexual assault – claiming he had been misidentified – in a four-day trial. He was convicted by a jury and later pleaded guilty to a further three counts of sexual assault. Judge Swinnerton said: “You’re plainly an intelligent man, but you’re unable to control your sexual urges.” Murawski disagreed and claimed: “This was a stupid thing that I was doing, but I don’t really think it was even sexual.” However, he said he wanted to get help from a Horizon sex offender treatment programme and turn his life around. Judge Swinnerton said Murawski “didn’t give any thought whatsoever” to his victims’ feelings and was only interested in satisfying his “sexual urges and impulses”. He said: “You have destroyed their confidence and feeling of safety in being able to walk around their own town.” The judge said Murawski took an increased risk by attacking one victim in front of her mum “for your own sexual thrill”. He described it as “sexually predatory behaviour” and said: “They were vulnerable to you, that’s why you picked on them.” Judge Swinnerton agreed the escalation in his offending was “deeply concerning” and said he hoped Murawski would take the Horizon course in prison, adding: “You should try to deal with the dark side of your nature.” He jailed him for three years for the new offences, then revoked his community order and re-sentenced him for the indecent images, imposing a further four months behind bars. The judge said Murawski must sign on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life.