Towpath 'grabber' charged with 12 sex attacks

THE man who has been terrorising women on Manchester area towpaths has been apprehended and charged with 12 sex attacks.

Joshua Etchells, 19, faces 12 counts of sexual assault by groping women on towpaths around Manchester, mainly the Bridgewater Canal, Keith Gudgin reports.

Came up behind women

The cyclist who allegedly came up behind women and grabbed them has been been caught and charged with the sex attacks.

He now remains in custody and will appear/appeared at Manchester Magistrates Court today, Monday.

Greater Manchester Police have released that the charges relate to Operation Carbon—a dedicated operation that was set up following the reports of sexual assaults on the towpath between the 1st and 7th March.

Three women groped

The assaults include that of reports by Cheshire Police stating it had received reports of three women being groped by a passing cyclist at Lymm on the Bridgewater towpath. (Pictured.)

Originally it was seven women who reported being attacked on the Bridgewater towpath but others then came to light making the total of 12, for which he has been charged.

There were also sexual assaults of the same nature reported on the canal towpath in Sale, resulting in two police forces hunting the attacker, who is now in custody.