Dangerous Tunisian sex predator who attacked five women in 90-minute rampage as he prowled the streets of Jersey is found guilty

By MARTIN ROBINSON, CHIEF REPORTER Published: 16:09, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 16:28, 23 July 2026 A dangerous Tunisian sexual predator has been convicted of attacking five women in just 90 minutes on Jersey, including attempting to rape one of his victims. Abdelkarim Arfaoui, 27, showed no remorse, insisting he had merely been asking women for directions because he was new to the Channel Islands. As Arfaoui was led away to prison after being convicted of all 10 charges at Jersey's Royal Court, he refused to apologise to his victims, most of whom were attacked on their way to work. Arfaoui claimed it was payday weekend and that he had been out all night in St Helier celebrating a new job as a carer before becoming 'really, really lost'. He even falsely claimed one woman became angry when he refused to have sex with her because he needed to get home to his wife. 'She was disappointed,' he lied. Police began receiving 999 calls at about 7am on November 30, 2025, after a woman reported being groped before being punched in the face in Jersey's capital. Twenty minutes later, a second woman called police to report that she too had been sexually assaulted on her way to work in the town centre. CCTV footage showed Arfaoui prowling the streets. Jurors were shown video of him pinning one woman against a fence and forcibly kissing her before telling her: 'I love you.' In another clip, he could be seen groping a second victim. Just eight minutes after the second 999 call, Arfaoui was arrested. Three further victims were later identified. He appeared to smile while in police custody, but told officers: 'I wasn't trying anything, just going to work. Nothing happened.' The moment Abdelkarim Arfaoui was arrested after attacking five women in 90 minutes, He told the officer that he had not done it and was off to work On CCTV, Arfaoui is seen prowling the streets where he abused women on their way to work Despite appearing to be drunk, Arfaoui told police he had been awake for 24 hours and was off to work again. He began yelling 'no, no, no' as he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault including groping a woman's bottom.  During his eight-day trial, Arfaoui continued to deny the sex attacks, even in the face of video evidence and brave testimony from his victims. He said none of the women he abused had received his 'sex attention' and claimed he was lost because he was new to Jersey and his mobile phone was not working. He claimed some of the women propositioned him or attacked him because he was drunk and unsteady on his feet. All five of his victims gave evidence against him in court. One woman, whom Arfaoui had groped, said she felt 'disgusted, dirty, lost' and could no longer sleep at night. He had approached her and began talking to her vulgarly about his genitals. When she fled, he followed her and told her he was going to have sex with her. 'When I was going to cross the road, he was behind me and grabbed my butt cheek,' she told the court. 'I took my phone out of my pocket and said I was going to call the police.' Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, asked: 'How did this incident make you feel?' The woman replied: 'Disgusted. Dirty. Lost.' Another victim admitted that she is scared to go outside alone after being attacked by him. As Arfaoui was led away to prison in handcuffs, he refused to apologise to his victims It took the jury just four hours to convict him on all 10 charges, including attempted rape, sexual touching, grave and criminal assault, common assault, and threatening or abusive behaviour. He was placed on the sex offenders' register and remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on Friday.  Jersey Police praised the bravery of his five victims, calling him a 'dangerous sexual predator'. Detective Constable Jack Maguire said: 'Offending of this nature is rare and the States of Jersey Police, alongside our partner agencies, are committed to robustly investigating offenders and bringing them to justice. 'Today's verdict is a testament to the bravery and courage of the five women who came forward and supported this investigation. It is because of their evidence that a dangerous sexual predator has been convicted. 'Several key witnesses were identified following public appeals through the media and social media, and extensive house-to-house enquiries carried out in the days after the offences. 'Their assistance played an important role in helping us build the evidence presented before the court.'