A MAN has been arrested after a teenager was raped by a cyclist.
The victim, a woman in her late teens, was walking alone at around 11.15pm on Tuesday (January 27) when she was approached by a stranger on a bike.
The incident happened in Grove, near Wantage, Oxfordshire.
Officers on patrol then arrested a 39-year-old local man on suspicion of rape and two sexual assaults.
He is currently in police custody.
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was walking along Grove Road and after speaking briefly with the man, was led towards an area behind Malby Way, where she was raped.
He is currently in police custody.
The offender then left the area on his bicycle, which is described as black in colour, travelling towards the traffic lights near Lidl.
The victim is being supported by specially trained officers.
The offender is described as a man of mixed ethnic background, believed to be in his mid-thirties, approximately 5ft 6ins tall, with short black hair.
Officers are also investigating one sexual assault and one attempted sexual assault reported in the local area last week and are keeping an open mind as to whether there may be any link to the rape reported on Tuesday.
The sexual assault occurred at around 9.30pm on January 21, a woman in her late twenties was approached by an unknown man on Cane Lane, Grove.
After a brief interaction, the woman continued walking along Main Street towards Grove Garage.
The man then followed her and sexually assaulted her.
The offender is described as a man of mixed ethnic background, believed to be in his fifties, approximately 5ft 7ins tall, and had slight stubble facial hair.
The attempted sexual assault occurred between 11.50pm and midnight on January 24, when a woman in her forties was walking alone along Mayfield Avenue, Grove, near Oxford Lane.
She noticed a lone man on the opposite side of the road.
The man followed the victim and crossed the road before attempting to sexually assault her.
The offender is described as a man of mixed ethnic background, approximately 5ft 6ins tall, and had acne scarring on his face.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart May, who is leading this investigation, said: “I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support and the information they have already provided to us since we made a public appeal yesterday.
“it is positive that we have now made an arrest, but I would continue to urge the public to come forward with any information that may support our investigation as it really does help.
“Our investigation continues at a pace, with additional officers deployed across the area to complete enquiries and provide visible reassurance patrols so if you have any information, questions or concerns then please speak to them.”
Anyone with information please call 101 or report online, quoting reference number 43260044490.
