A MAN has appeared in court alleged of raping a woman after he was identified by a friend from a CCTV image.

This comes after the Adver ran a front page appeal displaying the images of 22 men released by the police in an attempt to catch the alleged sex attacker.

Officers took the unusual move of making a public appeal for 22 men they wanted to talk to after a woman was sexually assaulted in Penzance Drive in July this year.

Fareed Tariq, of Hawfinch Close, Dorcan, appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court yesterday after he went to Gablecross police station on August 4, two days after the Adver ran the appeal, after a friend had seen his image and gave DNA samples to police.

On October 4, the results from the test came back and the DNA results matched the DNA which was found on the victims body and underwear.

It is alleged that Tariq first saw the alleged victim when he was in the Sir Daniel Arms pub then on the same night he was in the Casbah at the same time and at danced with the victim, who was with another woman.

The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, July 17, when he was alleged to have picked up the women in Faringdon Road in a silver-coloured car later found parked outside his property.

At about 4.30am, he dropped the first woman off near the town centre, and drove the second woman to Penzance Drive, near the Weighbridge Brewery, where he allegedly raped her n the car park.

Prosecuting, Kate Blackmore, told the court: “There was CCTV covering the front door. Twenty-two stills of black males matching the description were printed in the local press on August 2, and on August 4 he came forward to police after a friend identified him.”

Miss Blackmore told the court that the 31-year-old told police that he did give the girls a lift home and indulged in sexual activities with the alleged victim but denied it was rape.

Defending Paul Trotman said: “He says at no point did he penetrate her,” and added that Tariq said the claimant had started touching him.

“We say it was consented, ” said Mr Trotman.

Tariq was remanded in custody and will appear before Swindon Crown Court on October 21.