Serial offender jailed following spate of masturbating incidents – South London

A man has been jailed for a string of incidents where he masturbated in front of women and teenage girls on the railway network, following an extensive British Transport Police investigation.

James Gathercole, 36, and of Beckenham Road, Beckenham, was found guilty of ten indecent exposure offences between December 2020 and November 2021 on trains around South-East London.

He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years at Inner London Crown Court on Friday 18 February.

It followed a dedicated British Transport Police investigation into a spate of reports of masturbating incidents on trains in South-East London, which linked Gathercole to the series of offences - six of which occurred within one day.

He was detained on 29 November when a teenage girl approached an off duty Met Police officer in distress after Gathercole had exposed his genitals and touched himself inappropriately in front of her on a train at New Cross station. British Transport Police officers quickly arrived at the scene to arrest him and he was remanded in custody.

The court heard how on 7 August 2021 Gathercole committed six separate offences throughout the afternoon and evening, exposing himself to young women and teenage girls on services between New Cross Gate, Lewisham, and Sydenham stations.

BTP Detective Constable Sonja Lucas said: “It’s clear from Gathercole’s persistent and sickening actions that he is a danger to women and girls, and I’m pleased to see that after a rigorous investigation this serial offender is no longer free to travel on the railway network.

“These incidents will have had a serious impact on the victims’ lives, and no one should have to experience such vile behaviour as they travel.

“We are absolutely committed to stamping out this behaviour, and we will continue to target patrols to crime hotspots to catch and deter sexual offenders.

“I would also urge anyone who witnesses or experiences a sexual offence or sexual harassment on the railway to report it to us by texting 61016. We will always take you seriously.”