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Girl, 15, helps catch sex offender by taking photo of him during attack

Nathan Rawson was jailed for 13 years for attacking the schoolgirl. (SWNS)
Nathan Rawson was jailed for 13 years for attacking the schoolgirl. (SWNS)

A schoolgirl who helped police catch a sex offender by taking a photo of him on her phone during the attack has spoken about her ordeal for the first time.

Alexandra Muresan was 15 when she was attacked by knife-wielding Nathan Rawson as she walked to school in Leeds in February 2019.

The schoolgirl managed to disarm him and fight him off before taking the pictures, despite fearing she would be killed or raped.

The images showing Rawson standing in a field were circulated by West Yorkshire Police as part of an appeal and ultimately led to his arrest.

Read more: Man jailed after driving 100 miles to sexually assault schoolgirl

The picture Alexandra Muresan took of Nathan Rawson. (SWNS)
The picture Alexandra Muresan took of Nathan Rawson. (SWNS)
Nathan Rawson is pictured running from the scene. (SWNS)
Nathan Rawson is pictured running from the scene. (SWNS)

Alexandra, now 19, was awarded a bravery award from West Yorkshire Police for her actions, which led to Rawson being jailed for 13 years.

She said: “When he came towards me, I saw the handle of his knife and I just grabbed it and started pulling.

"There was just so much adrenaline – my whole body was shaking. I don’t know why – it’s what came to mind straight away and I just did it.

"I did rugby for two years, so I managed to get it off him eventually."

Rawson grabbed Alexandra by her waist, showed her a knife and forced her to walk with him into a woodland area.

She said she instinctively decided to fight back and grabbed the knife off her attacker, cutting her hand.

Read more: Boy rescued after parents abandon him on motorway

Alexandra Muresan disarmed a knife-wielding sex offender. (SWNS)
Alexandra Muresan disarmed a knife-wielding sex offender. (SWNS)

The schoolgirl took photos of Rawson before he ran off and Alexandra had to call an ambulance for her hand.

Rawson pleaded guilty to kidnapping, wounding, possession of an offensive weapon and two unrelated counts of burglary.

He was given an extended sentence of 13 years and eight months at Leeds Crown Court last May.

Alexandra added: "I don’t even know how to describe how I felt after it happened.”

She said: "At first, I was a little bit scared to go out by myself, but at the same time, as I grew older, it kind of boosted my confidence."