Man jailed for masturbating on station platform - West Yorkshire

A man who exposed himself and masturbated next to a woman with a pram at a railway station in West Yorkshire has been jailed, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Michael Wainwright, 74, and of Ashenhurst Road in Calderdale, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Thursday 25 June to eight months' imprisonment and handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He had previously pleaded guilty on Thursday 30 April at Bradford Magistrates' Court to Exposure.

The court heard how on Sunday 22 February at around midday, a woman approached a member of staff at Hebden Bridge railway station to report that a man, Wainwright, was masturbating on the platform next to a woman with a pram.

The member of staff looked at the live CCTV feed and couldn't see anything, so went out onto the platform to look into the incident.

He then went onto the platform and saw Wainwright had exposed himself and was masturbating, so he immediately contacted police.

BTP officers attended the station and Wainwright was arrested and taken into custody.

In his police interview, Wainwright admitted the crime and stated that he knew what he was doing was wrong, but couldn't explain why he had done it.

BTP Detective Constable David Bentley said: "Wainwright's actions were nothing short of horrific. He later admitted to police in interview that he could have stopped himself from acting in the vile manner that he did, but he chose to do so anyway.

"There is absolutely no place on the railway for sexual offending, and we’re committed to securing justice for victims and ensuring offenders like Wainwright have their day in court.

“Anyone who witnesses a sexual offence on the railway is urged to report it to us immediately by texting 61016. No report is too small or too trivial, and we’ll always take action.”