Eritrean asylum seeker who lied about his age to live with host family faces jail after sexually assaulting girl, 15, on train

By ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:32, 1 May 2026 | Updated: 10:48, 1 May 2026 An Eritrean asylum seeker who lied about his age so he could live with a host family has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on a train. Meron Habtu came to the UK illegally from Eritrea in 2020 when he was aged 24, but told the authorities he was aged 17 and was sent to live with a family in Upwey, near Weymouth, Dorset. The Eritrean national, who is now aged 29 and has a previous conviction for sexual assault on a woman, is now facing jail after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. After visiting friends in Bournemouth, he took the train back home and cornered the terrified girl after she exited a toilet and told her she was 'really beautiful'.  The girl told the man she was 15 and not interested before walking back to where she and her friend were sitting on the train travelling from Poole to Weymouth, Dorset.  Habtu, who 'smelt of alcohol' and was slurring his words, is said to have followed her before blocking her path and allegedly touching her breasts three or four times. He also stroked the girl's face and tried to force his phone into her hands before she escaped from him in tears on September 11, 2022.    The teenage girl, who can not be named for legal reasons, said Habtu made her feel 'terrified' during the ordeal. Meron Habtu, 29, (pictured) blocked the teenager's way as she left a toilet and told her she was 'really beautiful and pretty' Habtu, who 'smelt of alcohol' and was slurring his words, is said to have followed her before blocking her path and allegedly touching her breasts three or four times (file image) She refused to get on a train for a year afterwards and still 'dreads' using public transport to this day. The teenager said she found Habtu standing outside the toilet door on the train after she had finished. She said: 'I had to duck to go under his arm as he was stood right in front of the toilet door. 'He told me I was pretty and beautiful and asked for my phone number multiple times. 'I felt very uncomfortable and by the time I got to the wobbly bit of the train he cornered me so I couldn't get to the door. 'I told him to stop, I was 15 and had a boyfriend, but he tried to put his phone in my hands and touched my breasts three or four times. 'I was terrified and just wanted to get back to my seat. 'By the time I got back to it, I was crying.' Judge Orla Austin slammed his 'ludricrous and self-serving explanation' that he stumbled into the victim by accident and did not intentionally touch her. She told Habtu: 'You made sexually inappropriate advances to a child and touched her breasts without her consenting. 'Any explanation that you stumbled into her on a moving train by accident is ludicrous and self-serving. 'You should be under no misapprehension that in this case, given the aggravating factors, the court is considering an immediate custodial sentence as a starting point.' The victim's friend, who also gave evidence at Poole Magistrates' Court, said: 'She immediately burst into tears and kept saying how he was touching her. 'I tried to comfort her but she was quite distressed, so we moved carriages to get more distance from him (Habtu).' Train guard Chris Batterby, who was approached by the girls at Dorchester Railway Station, said the girls told him that Habtu had made 'sexual advances' towards one of them. He said that when he confronted Habtu, he could smell alcohol on his breath and he was slurring his words. Magistrates heard Habtu came to the UK after fleeing war-torn Eritrea. It was not disclosed by what means he entered the country, and it is not known which host family scheme Habtu was put in. But at least one Christian charity helps 16 to 18-year-old unaccompanied asylum seekers find ‘supported lodging’ with families in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area. Hosts are paid £140 per week per child, who is then supported by the charity and a social worker. Speaking through an interpreter, Habtu said: 'I came from a country where there is war so I gave an age that made me underage so I was able to join my family (in Britain).' He said he may have stumbled into the girl when he walked past her on the train but denied intentionally touching her. He said: 'From my family in Eritrea I was raised with an attitude and behaviour that I should not do anything with someone underage. 'I was leaning towards the toilet as the train had movement and after that we had a bit of a conversation but I don't remember it. 'She didn't tell me she was 15 years old and I am 100 per cent sure I didn't touch her. 'I may have stumbled because of the wobbly movement on the train but I didn't touch her intentionally.' Habtu was remanded in custody and will be sentenced later this month. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.