80 Year Old Woman Indecently Assaulted

18 March 2013, 13:06 | Updated: 20 March 2013, 12:56

A 40 year old man has pleaded guilty to an indecent assault on an 80 year old woman in her Houghton Regis home.

Darren Emmerson from Parkside Drive in Houghton Regis appeared before magistrates in Luton this morning.

He was charged with the sexual assault against the elderly victim and also a Section 4 Public order offence against an 18 year old girl in alleyway which also happened on 18th March - he pleaded guilty to both charges.

The 40 year old has been remanded in to custody and is due to appear before Luton Crown Court  on Friday 12th April.

He was arrested after officers launched a media appeal urging members of the public to help identify a man who had assaulted a woman in her home during the early hours of Monday 18th March.

The incident happened at a property in the Drury Lane/St Andrew’s Lane area of Houghton Regis at approximately 1.15am when the 80 year old resident, who was watching TV at the time, was disturbed by a knock at her front door.

The victim asked who was at the door and a man responded asking if she was alright. The victim thought that the caller was a neighbour and opened the door before the unknown man barged in to her home, pushed her to the ground, hit her and indecently assaulted her.

It is believed the man was in the property for approximately 45 minutes before leaving the scene in an unknown direction.

The officer in charge of this investigation, Detective Constable Colin Knight, said: “The victim is now receiving support from friends and specialist officers but she has clearly been traumatised by what has happened to her.”

Although this type of offence is extremely unusual police are advising residents to ensure they do not open their door to any callers they are not expecting and to look out of a window or through a spy hole to confirm the identity of any visitors.