WILLIAM STRICKSON FROM MIDDLETON JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON YORK TRAIN AND BUS PASSENGERS

In a disturbing series of incidents that took place across the York area, William Strickson, a 22-year-old man from Middleton near Pickering, has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of multiple sexual assaults targeting women and girls on public transportation. The court heard that Strickson would sit behind his victims on buses and trains, then reach through the gaps between seats to carry out his unlawful acts, a pattern that caused significant fear and distress among those affected.

Strickson’s criminal behavior came to light after he was identified through CCTV footage, which captured his movements during the assaults. His background includes employment as a tourist information worker and a post-room worker at a solicitor’s office in York. Despite his employment history, his actions on public transport have overshadowed his previous work history.

The first known assault occurred on June 29, when a teenage girl was targeted on a bus traveling from York. She was seated upstairs when Strickson, who was a regular passenger on that route, sat behind her. The girl recognized him as someone who often behaved oddly during his journeys. According to the prosecutor, Alisdair Campbell, Strickson reached between the seats and made an inappropriate gesture towards her. When she looked around, he quickly withdrew his hand. The girl later reported the incident to police, and Strickson admitted to the assault, justifying his actions by claiming he has Asperger’s Syndrome. His defense argued that he found it difficult to communicate with women but acknowledged that he derived sexual gratification from these acts.

Following this incident, Strickson was released on bail. However, weeks later, he committed another assault, this time on an underage girl on a train traveling between York and Malton. The victim was overwhelmed and frightened, unable to believe what was happening, and expressed her fear of traveling alone in the future. Strickson was identified in an identity parade after this assault, which took place on August 10. He was re-arrested and released on bail once more.

His criminal activities continued when, on September 15, he assaulted a woman in her twenties on a train from Malton to York. The police apprehended him at York Railway Station the following morning. The court also revealed that Strickson had a prior conviction for a similar offense dating back to 2013, when he assaulted a woman on a bus in Scarborough.

During the trial, Strickson’s lawyer, David Camidge, explained that his client’s actions were influenced by his Asperger’s Syndrome and learning difficulties, which had been worsened by problems at work. Camidge noted that Strickson had previously worked at the tourist information center in Pickering, but this employment ended when the center closed. He later found work at a solicitor’s office in York, but that job also ended because Strickson struggled with answering phones.

Judge Paul Batty QC addressed the court, condemning the targeting of vulnerable individuals, especially children, on public transport. He described such behavior as “utterly intolerable” and dismissed any suggestion that the offenses were connected to Strickson’s learning difficulties. As part of his sentence, Strickson was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, reflecting the seriousness with which the court viewed his repeated violations and the threat posed to the public.