A worldwide hunt for one of Australia’s worst serial rapists has begun, with NSW Police publicly releasing two identikit images of a man best known to the public as “The Bondi Rapist”.

Having been secretly investigating the man for over a decade, it is believed the rapist – also known as “The Centennial Park Rapist” and “The Tracksuit Rapist” – attacked at least 27 women inside their own homes throughout the eastern suburbs of Sydney between 1985 and 2001.

Police believe the man stalked a number of his victims for a period of time before attacking.

After 16 years the attacks stopped abruptly, his last believed to have occurred at Waverley Cemetery on 30 October in 2001.

The singlet's rapist, found by police following an attack. Source: NSW Police. 

According to Sex Crimes Squad Detective Sergeant Eugene Stek though, open cases remain.

"Just because the attacks have stopped doesn’t mean we have stopped hunting him," Stek said in a media release.

"We're asking the public to look at the identikit, the dates of the attacks and perhaps they might be able to remember something which may help identify him."

Initially beginning their investigation in 2005, police linked the rapist to five attacks within the area. But thanks to improvements in fingerprinting and DNA testing, and a reinvestigation of hundreds of cold cases, the scope began to broaden significantly.

The rapist is known to have attacked women near Coogee Beach. Image source: Wikipedia.

By 2007, Detective Senior Constable Melissa Cridland says, hundreds of cases were being reexamined, with DNA being sent to New Zealand and UK police for testing against other cases.

"We have examined literally hundreds of sexual assaults in that time frame which we thought could be related and interviewed a number of persons of interest," Cridland confirmed.

Describing the man, she continued, "he is very cunning and has evolved his modus operandi over the years as his age and maybe circumstances have changed."

According to police, the man's preferred hunting ground was the Bondi to Bronte walk, hugely popular among tourists and locals.

The rapist is known to have attacked near the popular North Bondi Beach. Image source: Wikipedia.

"In his early attacks he always had a knife but that changed in later years where he would tell his victim he had a knife without showing it," she said, adding, "he was a blitz attacker who was always threatening but there were some instances where he would communicate things to his victims."

Police believe the man operated using disguises but spoke with an Australian accent at all times.

"We believe he is now aged from 45-64 with dark curly or wavy hair, brown eyes and a broad nose,"  Cridland said.

"We estimate his eight is from 160cm to 180cm, but we tend to think he is probably likely to be less than 170cm. He has a thin to medium build and was sometimes described as fit and muscular.

"He is like a ghost. It’s remarkable he has got away with it," she added.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.  

Main image via NSW Police.