Serial sex attacker Simon Levy's "reign of terror" could have been halted seven years before his eventual conviction for murder, had authorities linked investigations into three separate sex assaults that occurred within months of each other in 2018. Detectives now believe dozens of women targeted by Levy, many on crowded public transport, have not yet been identified and are appealing for victims to come forward.
Levy was first reported to the Metropolitan Police for two attacks in north London in July and August 2018. However, he was not charged for these offenses until two years later. Concurrently, British Transport Police received a sex assault allegation against Levy for an incident in Battersea, south London, in 2018, but no charges were filed.
Campaigners and policing experts argue that this pattern of three "red-flag" offenses within a short period should have been sufficient to remove Levy from public circulation. "Failures we've seen before" were highlighted by former Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham, who noted that "escalation behaviours, red flag behaviours – so-called lower-level offences – are not being recognised for the danger that they are."
Levy's criminal history indicates a pattern of escalating violence. He was first reported after sexually molesting a woman at a party in Camden in July 2018. The following month, he accosted a woman on the Tube and followed her to Notting Hill Carnival, where he committed a sex assault involving penetration. He was finally convicted of these two offenses in September 2021 and served half of a three-year sentence, during which he assaulted a female officer. While on license, he attacked another woman in Canada Water. By August 2024, he was again free and was arrested after two more women reported him to the police.
The situation tragically escalated in January 2025 when Levy raped and suffocated a sex worker, leaving her critically injured. Two months later, he murdered 53-year-old Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo by suffocation. While on bail for these offenses, he murdered 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins on August 28, 2025. He was apprehended after being identified by facial recognition cameras.
Last week, a jury at the Old Bailey found Levy guilty of both murders, two rapes, intentional suffocation, grievous bodily harm, and 13 sexual assaults. He is scheduled for sentencing this week. Campaigner Lisa Squire emphasized the importance of taking precursor offenses, such as those committed on public transport, more seriously to prevent future tragedies.