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A sexual predator who wanted to emulate serial rapist Joseph McCann when he attacked a string of women on the streets of east London has been jailed for 20 years.
Abdallah Baballah, 26, targeted women as they walked home alone at night, threatening to stab the victims as he carried out violent sexual assaults and stole their possessions.
When he was captured by the Met Police, officers discovered Baballah had looked online at news articles about his attack and even downloaded CCTV footage which had been released in a bid to catch him.
His phone also revealed internet searches for Joseph McCann, who had carried out rapes and sexual assaults on 11 women and children just a couple of months before Baballahs crimes.
At Snaresbrook crown court on Thursday, Baballah was jailed for 20 years and will spend an extra five years on licence when released from prison.
Baballah is an extremely dangerous offender who targeted these women as they walked home alone in the dark, said Detective Sergeant Sara Yems, of the Mets Specialist Crime Command.
He waited for the most opportune of moments before making his attack and his actions have left these women traumatised by what happened to them.
"I would like to thank them for coming forward and supporting the police investigation, and for providing crucial evidence which led to this conviction and has ensured Baballah cannot subject anyone else to such horrific attacks.
Baballah, a former Barking and Dagenham College ESOL student, carried out the attacks over the course of 11 days in July 2019, targeting the first victim when she stepped off the N15 night bus in Plaistow at 2.30am.
After following her down the street, he told the woman: Give me your phone or I will stab you and then dragged her to a secluded spot where she was raped three times.
Baballah then stole cash from her wallet, but handed back the victims phone complete with a thumb print which helped police to identify him.
The second victim had just left Leyton underground station at 3am on July 6, 2019, when Baballah grabbed hold of her and stole her phone. He demanded she perform oral sex on him, but the woman managed to get away.
An hour later, Baballah attacked another woman in Leyton, sexually assaulting and raping her, punching the victim in the face and stealing her phone and ring.
At around 3am on July 8, 2019, he struck again on a woman getting off the N15 bus in Dagenham, chasing her down the road while demanding she hand over her phone.
The final victim was attacked in East Ham on July 11, 2019, when she was dragged into a side road by Baballah who pinned her down and started punching her.
The woman managed to break free and sought help from a nearby resident, while Baballah stole her bag and phone.
Baballah was carrying one of the victims phones when he was arrested on July 25, and was linked to the crimes by his Oyster card use.
His phone records revealed searches for man raped two women in east London and rape rule in Britain.
The Sudanese national, of no fixed address, admitted rape, attempted rape, two charges of robbery, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was convicted after a trial of three further rape charges, three robberies, sexual assault, attempted rape, and making a threat to kill.