Chiziem Omisa

Chiziem Omisa, a 25-year-old resident of Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, was sentenced to four years and four months in prison on 27 June 2024 at St Albans Crown Court following his guilty plea to sexual assault by penetration, stalking two young women, and perverting the course of justice.

The primary offence occurred in May 2019 when Omisa, using an assumed name, contacted a young woman via Instagram and bombarded her with flirtatious and flattering messages. Despite her repeated requests for him to stop, he arranged to meet her at his student accommodation in Nottingham, where he sexually assaulted her. Omisa initially denied the encounter to police but pressured the victim to remain silent, even threatening that she could face expulsion from university if she reported the incident.

The case came to light during a forensic examination of Omisa's mobile phone, which had been seized in connection with another alleged offence. Officers identified the victim through incriminating messages on the device. Crucially, on the day of the assault, Omisa sent a series of crude WhatsApp messages to a friend, boasting about the encounter. Since he had already admitted to being with the woman at the time, these messages provided pivotal evidence against him.

While on bail for the Nottingham offence, Omisa stalked two other young women he had met online, further demonstrating his pattern of harassment and refusal to accept rejection. Police Staff Investigator Kerry Humphreys of Nottinghamshire Police highlighted Omisa's toxic attitude towards women, stating, 'While his behaviour alone may not be illegal, his refusal to accept rejection and his harassment of women led to his conviction.'

In addition to his custodial sentence, Omisa was made subject to a restraining order prohibiting contact with his victims and a sexual harm prevention order. This order mandates that he make all electronic devices available for police inspection, register social media accounts with officers, and refrain from sending unsolicited friend requests to women online. The case was reported by UKNIP on 5 July 2024, underscoring the role of digital evidence in securing the conviction.