Bondi Beast: Police reveal secret investigation links him to at least 27 attacks on women over 15 years

A DECADE-long secret police ­investigation into a sex monster has uncovered one of our of worst serial attackers, with at least 27 women preyed upon since 1985. NSW Police have today released two identikit images as part of a worldwide hunt for the man who terrorised Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Two identikit images released as part of a worldwide hunt for the ‘Bondi Beast’.

A DECADE-long secret police ­investigation into a sex monster has uncovered one of our of worst serial attackers, with at least 27 women preyed upon since 1985.

NSW Police have today released two identikit images as part of a worldwide hunt for the man who terrorised Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

One of the victims was just 14. The predator attacked women ­inside their homes, climbing on to balconies to sneak inside. His reign of terror lasted 15 years before stopping abruptly in 2001.

“Just because the attacks stopped doesn’t mean we have stopped hunting him,’’ Sex Crimes Squad Detective Sergeant Eugene Stek said. “To us these are still open cases which we want to solve.

“We’re asking the public to look at the identikit, the dates of the ­attacks and perhaps they might be able to remember something which may help identify him.’’

Sydney’ famous Bondi Beach is the Beast’s hunting ground.

Police ­believe his last attack was at Waverley Cemetery on October 30, 2001.

The original investigation began in 2005, when the Sex Crimes Unit started to look into five related rapes in the eastern suburbs across 2000 and 2001. They set up a special strike force named Doreen. At the time the attacker was dubbed “The Bondi Rapist”. He was linked to five attacks in the area.

In 2007, the cold case justice ­review project re-examined hundreds of unsolved crimes using ­enhanced DNA and fingerprinting.

It retested samples from historic sex assaults, leaving investigators stunned with a cold case hit linking the Bondi rapist to an attack in Thompsons Bay at Clovelly in 1985.

It wasn’t the only match.

“That certainly broadened the investigation,’’ Sgt Stek said.

Bondi Beast ... do you know this man?

Detective Senior Constable Melissa Cridland started the methodical search of sex attacks in the area.

“We have examined literally hundreds of sexual assaults in that time frame which we thought could be related and interviewed a number of persons of interest,’’ she said.

“He is very cunning and has evolved his modus operandi over the years as his age and maybe circumstances have changed.

“In his early attacks he always had a knife but that changed in later years where he would tell his victim he had a knife without showing it.’’

Police are certain that on April 9, 1994, the attacker was drinking at the Coogee Bay Hotel before committing a rape.

“We believe he is now aged from 45-64 with dark curly or wavy hair, brown eyes and a broad nose,” Sen Cons Cridland said.

The dates and locations of the attacks.

“We estimate his height is from 160cm to 180cm, but we tend to think he is probably likely to be less than 170cm. He has a thin to ­medium build and was sometimes described as fit and muscular.’’

In some cases police also believe he stalked his victims for a considerable amount of time before striking. “A number of the attacks were aggravated­ break and enters where the assaults took place inside the victims’ homes by climbing on to balconies,” she said.

His victims were aged from 14 to 55. One of the most brazen occurred during the daytime.

His favourite hunting ground was the Bondi to Bronte walkway and he favoured the warmer months of March and April. While not all 27 attacks are matched via DNA, police believe there is a high likelihood they are linked because of the similarity.

DNA has already been sent to the UK and New Zealand. It will now be sent to other countries.

“He was a blitz attacker who was always threatening but there were some instances where he would communicate things to his victims.

“We believe he often used disguises and that he spoke with an Australian accent,’’ Sen Cons Cridland said. “He has been known as the Centennial Park Rapist, the Bondi Rapist and the Tracksuit rapist. He is like a ghost. It’s remarkable he has got away with it.’’

Two other rapists­ active at the time, Wayne Trindall and Maurice Marsland were arrested and jailed for their horrific crimes.

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