St Paul’s Cathedral sex attack: Paul Jelonek jailed after disgusting incident involving female US tourist

A US tourist has been left “traumatised” after she was set upon by a sex creep as she prayed inside St Paul’s Cathedral.

A woman has told of her horror after she was attacked by a sex fiend at St Paul’s Cathedral. Picture: Eugene Hyland

A man who assaulted a US tourist as she prayed inside St Paul’s Cathedral has been jailed.

Paul Jelonek, 49, was jailed for one year and ten months after pleading guilty to sexual offences in the County Court on Thursday over the vile incident on June 17, 2019.

The court heard the 32-year-old victim, who had travelled to Melbourne to visit family, was sitting alone in the pews about 3.30pm when the creep approached.

Jelonek sat close to the woman and leaned over, reaching his arm over her shoulders.

“Hello sweetheart,” he said.

The frightened churchgoer pulled away before Jelonek told her to perform a sex act on him, the court heard.

As the woman walked away, Jelonek grabbed her by the front of her shoulders and shoved her into a wall.

He pushed the petrified victim’s head toward his groin, exposing his genitalia and performing a lewd act as she screamed for help.

“She broke away from (Jelonek) and ran towards the exit … (Jelonek then) chased her,” the prosecution said.

As a security guard rushed to escort Jelonek to the exit the creep exclaimed “I had to … you don’t understand.”

Jelonek performed another lewd act while facing Flinders St and continued to smile at the woman who was in his view from outside, the court heard.

Guards forcibly removed Jelonek as he tried to re-enter through the church’s gift shop, before police caught up with him at the intersection of Collins and Spencer streets.

“I went there and assaulted and violated people,” Jelonek told officers.

Mr Jelonek’s lawyer told the court his client was suffering from a drug-induced psychosis after using ice four days prior to the attack.

He said Mr Jelonek, who has spent 642 days in custody, had not used drugs since the attack.

The court was told Jelonek was homeless at the time of the incident but now has stable accommodation available with his girlfriend.

“When he looks back, he’s in disbelief … he couldn’t believe he’d done it,” the defence said.

“ (Jelonek) said, ‘(the incident) is not in my nature’.”

In a victim impact statement the woman said she had been left “traumatised” and feeling a mix of “fear, anger and disgust.”

“This is a frightening and vulgar assault with an intent to (perform) a sexual act,” Judge Howard Mason said.

“You were a stranger to the victim, who was on her own and vulnerable.”

Jelonek pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a sexual offence and sexual exposure.

Judge Mason ordered Jelonek’s 642 days spent in custody be reckoned as time served.

Jelonek will serve a two-year community corrections order when he is released.