A man who sexually assaulted two young girls in separate attacks in 2017 was caught by chance seven years later when he submitted DNA while applying to be a PCSO for the British Transport Police.
Reinaldo Goncalo Bertoni Filho, 42, of Askew Road, Hammersmith, pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday (May 13), after pleading guilty to sexual assault on a child under 13 years at an earlier hearing. One of Goncalo Bertoni Filho’s victim was just ten years old when she was attacked.
Goncalo Bertoni Filho was arrested after applying to be a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) with the British Transport Police in September 2024 and asked to provide a DNA sample as part of the vetting process, which matched DNA obtained from the two attacks years earlier.
The first incident took place on July 10, 2017, on a footpath within the Hogsmill Open Space in Ewell. The victim, who was 15 years old at the time, was cycling on her own when Goncalo Bertoni Filho approached her on foot, before cornering her and pushing her to the ground.
The victim bit Goncalo Bertoni Filho on the elbow and scratched his face which caused him to run off. The victim then stopped a passer-by and told her what had happened. A male DNA profile was obtained from her clothing, which was checked against the National DNA Database without success. The profile was uploaded to the database.
The second incident took place on August 17, 2017, the victim who was 10 years old at the time, was walking alone on a footpath on Claygate Common in Claygate, when a man jogged past her and then turned and grabbed her, before pinning her up against a tree and sexually assaulting her.
She managed to lift her leg and kick Goncalo Bertoni Filho in the stomach before running away. The victim told a family friend what had happened, and they drove around to try and find the suspect, spotting Goncalo Bertoni Filho who was out jogging. He was wearing the same bottoms and trainers he had been wearing when he had attacked her.
The family friend challenged Goncalo Bertoni Filho, who denied he had done anything wrong before running off. The friend chased him on foot and punched him, knocking a single ear bud out of his ear.
The DNA taken from the ear bud matched the DNA recovered from the first offence but there remained no suspect until Goncalo Bertoni Filho provided a sample to the British Transport Police in September 2024 and he was subsequently arrested. Goncalo Bertoni Filho will be sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on July 25.
‘Dangerous sexual predator targeted girls on their own in isolated areas’
Detective Sergeant Adele Robertson from the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team said: “Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to both victims, who were children at the time these heinous offences took place, for their bravery and coming forward and reporting what they had been subjected to.
“Goncalo Bertoni Filho was a dangerous sexual predator who targeted young girls on their own in isolated areas with the sole purpose of committing a sexual offence against them. The fact that he has finally been dealt with through the courts after eight years shows how determined we are in our relentless pursuit for justice.
“His audacity at applying to join the British Transport Police as a PCSO defies belief, but it was this which ultimately led to him being identified. The team put in a huge amount of work into investigating these attacks at the time and this case illustrates our commitment to continuing to investigate even after several years. We would urge others who have been victims of similar offences to come forward and report these – you will be listened to, and you will be supported.”
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