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A notorious sex offender has been arrested after a young woman was grabbed from behind and assaulted.

The 22-year-old victim was walking in Rathmines, South Dublin, in the early hours of Monday, when she was attacked.

The foreign national was punched and wrestled to the ground but she managed to fight off her assailant.

She fled from on upmarket Effra Road to her nearby home where she raised the alarm shortly after 12.30am.

Sources said she gave gardai an “excellent description” of the man which was circulated to officers in the area and a short time later two uniformed gardai in a patrol car arrested a 49-year-old.

The Irish Mirror can reveal the notorious rapist was released from prison recently after serving a lengthy sentence for a vicious sex attack.

He was jailed for the rape of a woman in the North Inner City in 2001.

The beast, from Dublin, was being held last night at Terenure Garda station in the southn of the city.

Gardai have until this morning to charge or release him. A senior source said: “This woman was walking near her home when a man approached her from behind and grabbed her.

“She was punched a number of times and wrestled to the ground.

She managed to struggle free from her attacker and get to her home where the alarm was raised. Gardai spoke to the woman and a short time later a patrol car spotted a suspect.

“This man is a very serious character and is well-known to gardai.

“He has a previous conviction for rape and is considered a serious threat.”

The suspect, who is on the sex offenders’ register, has been living in Harold’s Cross for some time.

It is believed gardai have become concerned about his behaviour in recent months.

His name and details have never been published in the media to protect the identity of his victim.

The 22-year-old woman he set upon was brought to St James’s Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and shock.

cathal.mcmahon@irishmirror.ie