A Sutton man has been jailed for six months after a 13-hour spree in which he exposed himself to women on trains across the south of England.
Roman Scott, 35, of Brunswick Road, Sutton, was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on 25 September for five counts of exposure, following a night and morning of offending that began in London and took in the south coast.
The court heard that the spree began shortly after 11pm on 14 December last year, when Scott boarded a train at London Victoria. He sat near two women and began to masturbate in front of them. Other passengers on the carriage intervened and forced him off the train.
The following morning, Scott boarded a service from Southampton to Bournemouth. Once again he sat near a group of women and began to masturbate. After arriving in Bournemouth, he entered the ladies’ toilets at the station and exposed himself to a woman inside.
He then boarded a train heading for Manchester. On board, he blocked the path of a young woman and masturbated in front of her. Later in the journey he exposed himself to another woman, made sexual advances towards her and followed her along the carriage. She was forced to push past him to get away.
Scott then sat down and fell asleep in his seat. Members of rail staff recognised him as the man who had been in the women’s toilets at Bournemouth, and the incident was reported to British Transport Police. Officers found him still asleep on the train, and still exposed, and arrested him.
When questioned in custody, Scott claimed the exposure had been accidental, telling officers that “drinking just gets the better of me sometimes”.
As well as the six-month custodial sentence, the court imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which bars Scott from sitting next to or opposite women he does not know. Scott, the Sutton man jailed over the spree, will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
Exposure is a sexual offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Courts can impose Sexual Harm Prevention Orders alongside a custodial sentence where restrictions are needed to protect the public from serious sexual harm, and breach of such an order is a criminal offence in its own right. Sentencing guidelines for sexual offences treat repeated offending against multiple victims as an aggravating feature — a factor that was central to this case, in which five counts of exposure were committed within a single 13-hour period.
Detective Constable Ewen Roberts, of British Transport Police, said: “Scott acted appallingly and disgustingly towards a number of women in such a short period of time, repeatedly subjecting them to horrific ordeals for his own sexual gratification.”
He added: “There is no place for sexual offending on the railway network, and never any excuse for the sort of behaviour Scott displayed.”
“I am pleased to see him brought to account for his actions including time in prison and strict conditions he will have to follow for a decade when he’s released,” the detective said.
The case is the latest in a string of court outcomes covered by London Streets, including the jailing of a former Metropolitan Police officer over an insurance fraud conspiracy.
British Transport Police is the national force responsible for policing Britain’s railways, including stations and trains across London. The force says passengers can report non-emergency crime discreetly by texting 61016, or by calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always call 999. The force regularly issues CCTV appeals after offences at London stations and has stepped up patrols at major London terminals.
Anyone affected by sexual offending on the railway can also speak to station staff or report what happened to a police officer in person.
