Iranian asylum seeker jailed 11 years for attempted rape after 'micropenis' defence fails

Hossein Mohmoudi, 36, stalked a woman for nearly an hour after her Christmas party before attacking her in a London alleyway. A jury rejected his claim that a medical condition made the attack impossible.

Iranian man convicted of attempted rape after stalking victim for 55 minutes in London

An Iranian asylum seeker who argued a physical condition made him incapable of sexual assault has been found guilty of attempted rape and sentenced to 11 years in prison, The Sun reports.

Hossein Mohmoudi, 36, was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 16 June after a jury rejected the defence that his alleged "micropenis" and obesity made the attack medically impossible. He was living in an asylum hostel in London at the time of the offence in December 2024.

Victim followed for nearly an hour

Mohmoudi stalked a 43-year-old woman for around 55 minutes after she attended a Christmas party, mirroring her movements — crossing the road when she did and boarding the same bus. He followed her for approximately three miles before attacking her in an alleyway. The assault was cut short when a passing cyclist intervened and called the police.

During the attack, the victim was heard on footage shouting: "Wait! Wait! Wait! F you! Back off! F off! F***!"

Officers from the Metropolitan Police arrived quickly, launching a major investigation. Detectives reviewed 30 hours of CCTV footage, tracing Mohmoudi's movements from the scene of the attack back to his home address. He was arrested two days later.

Medical defence dismissed

The defence called several factors in mitigation, including Mohmoudi's alleged medical condition and low libido, arguing the attack — said to have lasted just 27 seconds — was too brief for him to have committed the offence given his purported physical limitations.

However, Dr George Fowlis, a consultant urologist who gave evidence for the prosecution, told the court that Mohmoudi's anatomy was "normal".

Prosecutor Christiaan Moll also highlighted that Mohmoudi had admitted, through an interpreter, to using a fetish website the day before the attack — something he described as "helpful for my English language." Moll replied drily: "There are other ways to improve your English."

The jury also heard that Mohmoudi had previously been reported to police for stalking a woman while she walked her dog, though no conviction resulted from that complaint.

Criminal history in Germany

Mohmoudi left Iran in 2014 and travelled through Turkey, Greece, Germany and France before crossing the Channel to the UK — reportedly by piloting a migrant boat himself. During his time in Germany he accumulated five criminal convictions: two for assault and three for criminal damage.

Detective: 'A predator who poses danger'

Detective Inspector Thomas Meaden, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, praised both the victim and the member of the public who stepped in.

"The victim has shown great strength throughout what has been an extremely hard experience," Meaden said. "I hope this outcome provides some measure of justice."

"Mohmoudi is a predator who poses a danger to any women and girls he may cross. Had he not been interrupted by a brave member of the public, he intended to commit further harm."

"I would like to thank the person who intervened and supported the victim ahead of officers arriving, and to commend all involved for their diligent work."

Mohmoudi is due to be formally sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 29 July.

Source: The Sun