Sex offender sent back to prison weeks after being released – Newcastle

A convicted sex offender recently released from prison is heading straight back after exposing himself to commuters at Newcastle Central station.

Following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Paul Southern, 47 (16/10/1978), of no fixed address, was jailed for four months at Newcastle Crown Court on 6 October. He was also ordered to re-sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

Southern pleaded guilty to Exposure and failing to comply with his sexual offender notification requirements at a previous court hearing.

The court heard how, on the evening of Tuesday 18 August 2026, Southern entered Newcastle Central station. He sat on a bench for a short while, and at 9.30pm exposed himself in full view of everyone at the station.

A member of railway staff quickly noticed that Southern had exposed himself, so approached him and alerted BTP.

Officers arrived immediately and Southern was arrested on the spot and taken to police custody. In interview he admitted to travelling to the station with the express intention of exposing himself.

Just three weeks earlier he had been released from prison following a conviction for Voyeurism that occurred in February 2026, also at Newcastle Central station.

He had been caught by BTP officers hiding in the women’s toilets at the station and was jailed for four months on 26 March.

BTP Detective Constable Adil Ahmed said: "Southern clearly hasn’t changed his ways. It’s only right that he’s back behind bars.

“On that day he acted with shocking levels of disregard for other commuters in the station, planning his offence in advance and subjecting others to a horrific ordeal for his own gain.

“We take this type of intolerable behaviour extremely seriously, and we will continue put offenders like Southern before the courts to face justice.

"If you've witnessed or been the victim of a sexual offence on the railway network, I urge you to report it to us by texting 61016 so we can take action."