London’s courtrooms are inundated with sex crime cases which have taken place on public transport.
Stats reveal that one in three women have been victims of sexual harassment or sexual offences while commuting on the train or Tube.
The survey, commissioned by British Transport Police (BTP), also revealed that most sexual offending takes place during the evening rush hour period (5-7pm) in busy train carriages.
Here are some of the cases our reporters have covered in recent months – with the offenders named and shamed.
Hailu Getemariam
On one occasion he sat next to a woman on an otherwise empty train carriage then stroked her leg, while another time he stood directly behind a woman on the London Underground and groped her.
“Mr Getemariam, you are a pervert,” Judge Freya Newbery told him at a sentencing hearing in November 2023. “You are seeking out young women on public transport to touch them sexually.”
On one occasion Getemariam was at a Northern Line station where he spotted another young woman who he then followed onto the Tube.
“It was quite crowded but you stood right behind her and pressed your body into her. You touched her bottom with your hand and then you placed your hand in between the top of her thighs,” Judge Newbery said.
He kept his hand on her thigh for around five minutes.
“She was really scared. At a stop where some people got on and off she moved to the other side of the carriage, but you followed her and stood opposite her quite close and stared at her,” Judge Newbery said.
He was jailed for 14 months.
Full story - Pervert repeatedly groped lone women on London Underground and trains.
Harry Burgess
He was travelling on a train to New Eltham with friends on April 4 when he started acting up.
At one point in the journey he exposed his genitals in full view of other passengers and urinated on a seat.
He then threw the cushion at a male passenger, hitting him in the face.
Then at New Eltham station he sexually assaulted a woman as she boarded the service.
In September 2023 he was jailed for 24 weeks and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
Full story - Greenwich man tried to impress friends by peeing on train seat and groping woman.
Mohammed Aminu
He boarded a Route 181 bus in Lewisham High Street where he engaged a 14-year-old girl in conversation.
He then followed her from the bus and sexually assaulted her.
Half an hour later, he boarded a Route 124 bus and engaged a 16-year-old girl in conversation before sexually assaulting her.
When she got off the bus, he followed her to school where she was able to get help.
In December 2023 he was jailed for 30 months.
Full story - Lewisham paedophile who deliberately sought out girls in school uniform jailed.
Mukesh Shah
He boarded a Piccadilly Line carriage between Sudbury Town and Acton at around 11.40pm on November 4, 2022.
Shah chose to sit diagonally opposite the only other person on the carriage, a woman.
She noticed him staring at her, making her feel uncomfortable, before she realised he was exposing his penis and masturbating.
The brave victim recorded Shah in the hope of deterring him but he continued anyway.
When she confronted him, he told her he hadn't done anything wrong but moved along the carriage.
She reported the incident to British Transport Police and Shah was identified from the video.
In December 2023 Shah was jailed for nine months.
Full story - 'Disgusting' pervert masturbated in front of lone woman on London Underground train.
Ilie Preda
He was travelling on a train between Wimbledon and Waterloo at around 4pm on April 24, 2021.
Three girls, aged between 16 and 18, were also travelling on the train and said they noticed Preda dancing around while calling himself Captain Morgan, prosecutor Gregor McKinley told said.
“The defendant then became bothersome and tried to talk to the three girls. He told one of the girls ‘I love you’ and tried to move forward in an attempt to kiss her,” Mr McKinley said. The girls told Preda to back off and then when the train arrived at Wimbledon they tried to get off.
But Preda then moved towards the 16-year-old girl, tried to hug her and moved his hands towards her thighs in an attempt to lift her skirt.
He then tried to touch the 18-year-old girl on the bottom.
The incident was reported to British Transport Police and Preda was arrested when he got off the train in Waterloo.
He was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for one year and will be required to register with police for seven years under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Full story -Train pervert walks free after groping teen and threatened people with toy gun.
Juan Cervera
The young girl was on a train in her school uniform when he approached her.
In front of other passengers Cervera brazenly put his hand up her skirt and sexually assaulted her.
Full story - Paedophile assaulted 12-year-old girl at King's Cross Station.
When she left the train he continued to follow her until she ran away in King’s Cross Station.
When he was arrested officers found phones and hard drives contained tens of thousands of indecent images including upskirting and voyeurism images.
He was jailed for three and a half years in November 2023.
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