Indian-origin man fined for UK train sex act
Santanu Roy, an Indian-origin computer expert has been arrested and asked to pay 1000 pounds compensation for leering at a young woman on a train from Liverpool to Manchester and performing a sex act on himself.
Roy, 38, was in the largely empty train carriage with the victim and one other woman who was asleep, according to reports from Manchester. He had reportedly consumed alcohol before boarding the train at night.
Roy, the father of two, stared at his victim for 15 minutes before carrying out the 'deeply shocking' behaviour on the journey, the Manchester Crown Court was told.
Roy's wife collapsed when he was arrested and was treated by paramedics.
Roy pleaded guilty to performing an act outraging public decency, and was given a three-year community order with supervision and a sex offenders' treatment programme, the reports added.
David Lees, prosecuting lawyer, told the court that the incident happened on the 9.10 pm train from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Victoria, in April.
Lees said: "After about half an hour, most people got off the train, leaving himself, the victim and one other woman who was asleep. The victim said she was wary of the defendant. She said he was drinking from a small green wine bottle, and he was leering. He then moved to sit down in a seat on the same row as her with a rucksack. She felt he was staring at her, and she became very nervous.
The victim started texting friends, put on her iPod and tried to ignore him, the court was told. When the train passed Eccles station, she noticed he was performing a sex act on himself. She ran off the train at Victoria and told police, who apprehended Roy.
Helen Richardson, lawyer defending Roy, told the court: "He's utterly disgusted by his own behaviour. He can put it in no other way. Only two times in his life has he consumed alcohol and this was the second."
Richardson added: "He doesn't see himself as a sex offender. He sees this as an aberration on his part that will never be repeated."
Judge Martin Steiger told Roy he must pay his victim 1,000 pounds compensation and 200 pounds court costs.
He added: "There is no explanation for your behaviour. I have not the slightest doubt (the victim) was deeply shocked by this."
