A 24-year-old man named Alexander Scott-Bowen from Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, has been sentenced after admitting to seven counts of sexual assault against seven victims. He received a 38-week prison sentence, but he has already served this time while on remand this year. In addition to the prison term, a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was issued, which restricts his behavior and activities, and he has been added to the Sex Offenders' Register for the next decade. According to Avon and Somerset Police, Scott-Bowen targeted his victims by engaging them in conversations about their feet or shoes, often complimenting them before grabbing their foot and sniffing it. Detective Mike Coleman said the attacks caused significant distress to the victims and the wider community. The investigation treated the incidents as a series of sexual assaults, primarily targeting young girls. Coleman noted that Scott-Bowen continued committing offenses over a long period and was not deterred by being arrested and released on bail conditions, as he went on to commit further crimes. Scott-Bowen admitted that his motives were for his own sexual gratification. The police investigation began in 2022 after reports surfaced of three young girls being approached by a man in Yate who touched and sniffed their feet. In March 2025, two more reports were received of similar incidents in Kingswood, leading to Scott-Bowen being identified as a suspect. He was arrested, interviewed, and released on bail while the police continued their investigation and collected more evidence. His DNA was obtained and matched to DNA found on the shoelace of one of the victims from 2022. Further reports were received in December 2023 of two girls being approached in Cribbs Causeway and a woman in Stoke Gifford in January while Scott-Bowen was still on bail. He was re-arrested three days after these incidents and remanded into custody. During a forensic examination, material suggesting a foot fetish was found on his phone. Detective Coleman thanked the victims for coming forward, especially those from the 2022 incident who re-engaged with police when their cases were reopened.