A predator who prowled the Night Tube system targeting women who had fallen asleep has finally been brought to justice. Salman Yousaf, 46, was already serving a prison sentence in 2024 when the Metropolitan Police alerted colleagues in the British Transport Police (BTP) about his identity and offending methods. BTP investigators then reviewed unsolved cases where no suspect had been identified and discovered that Yousaf had committed a series of sexual assaults between 2017 and 2021.
Details of the Offences
Yousaf admitted eight counts of sexual assault and one count of outraging public decency. He was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on May 20 and placed on the sexual offenders register for life, as well as being subject to a sexual harm prevention order. BTP noted that investigators had previously been unable to identify him due to a lack of on-train CCTV footage and the fact that he had not swiped in or out at ticket barriers during several offences.
First Attack and Subsequent Crimes
His first crime occurred around 5am on March 11, 2017, when he masturbated in front of a woman on a Central Line service near Stratford. Yousaf went on to sexually assault another eight women on Central and Jubilee line services, singling out those who were alone and had fallen asleep on night Tubes.
Police Statement
BTP Detective Constable Iryna Cuthbert said: ‘Salman Yousaf is a calculated predator who deliberately exploited the night-time rail network to target lone women, using their isolation to commit a series of premeditated crimes. Even when confronted, he showed a complete lack of remorse – the same absence of remorse he demonstrated at his sentencing. Thanks to the information provided by our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police, we were able to link him to a catalogue of vile sexual offending and ultimately extend his stay behind bars beyond 2030.’
Impact on Victims
‘Yousaf’s crimes will have a lasting impact on the women he targeted. I want to acknowledge their bravery in coming forward and reporting what happened, and I hope his sentence brings them some measure of justice,’ added DC Cuthbert.
Previous Conviction
Yousaf was already serving a prison term for targeting another woman who had fallen asleep on the Tube. He led her away from the station and sexually assaulted her in a road near West Ham station. He was jailed for seven and a half years after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court for sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration. Metropolitan Police detectives tracked CCTV from the night of that attack, piecing together Yousaf’s movements and discovering he frequently used Forest Gate station. They spoke to staff there and identified him, leading to his arrest.
