A 15-year-old girl was lifted from into the air and thrown to the ground before a man used his foot to press her head against the pavement, police said today as they launched a CCTV appeal.
The vicious assault on Green Street in Newham shortly after midday on March 15 is one of three attacks over which police say they are hunting the same suspect. In two later incidents the man sexually assaulted women by putting his hand up their dresses.
Of the first attack, police said: "At around 12:30hrs on 15 March, the male suspect grabbed a 15-year-old girl from behind in Green Street, Newham.
"The girl was picked up and thrown onto the ground before the man used his foot to press her head against the pavement.
"She was not seriously injured and did not attend hospital."
In a later incident, around 7.30am on July 2, the same man is said to have approached a 29-year-old woman on Well Street in Stratford and sexually assaulted her by putting his hand up her dress.
A day later he is believed to have committed a near identical offence by sexually touching a 20-year-old woman on Sprowston Road, Forest Gate, according to police.
The suspect is is described as a black man, aged around 20 to 30 years of medium build with 'afro' style hair.
On Wednesday the Metropolitan Police released a CCTV picture of a man they wish to question in connection with the attacks.
Contact police in Newham on 020 8217 5881 with any information. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
