Sex pest banned from sitting beside lone females on public transport after West Midlands bus attack

Ashiq Hussain, from Saltley, repeatedly rubbed his leg against a 22-year-old passenger on the number X51 bus as it travelled along Walsall Road.

The 52-year-old ignored the woman's pleas to stop and, when she reported the unwanted advances to a ticket inspector, he jumped off and disappeared down a back street.

As a result, officers circulated CCTV images of the offender and Hussain was spotted by a PCSO on patrol in Birmingham city centre – and arrested on October 1 from his home address.

At Birmingham Magistrates Court on Tuesday he was handed a community order after being found guilty of sexual assault by touching.

The order includes a supervision element and conditions banning him from the X51 bus – and from sitting next to lone females on any public transport – for the next 18 months.

West Midlands Police Detective Constable Leigh O'Neill from Project Empower, part of the Safer Travel Partnership – a union of police, transport providers and regional transport authority Centro – said the case illustrates the group's commitment to tackle sex offences on public transport.

"Passengers should be able to enjoy their journey without being subjected to verbal or physical abuse," she added. "Project Empower is not only clamping down on offenders but is actively encouraging passengers to report unwanted sexual approaches.

"People shouldn't tolerate such behaviour or dismiss it because sex offenders who get away with inappropriate touching may be tempted to escalate the seriousness of their offending.

"In this case the victim said that since the attack she's not travelled on a bus out of fear of bumping into him again…I hope the conditions attached to Hussain's community order, banning him from the bus and ordering him to steer clear of lone female passengers, gives her reassurance and confidence to continue using public transport.

"We take travellers' concerns seriously and will take decisive action to catch culprits and protect public transport users."

Unemployed Hussain targeted the woman in the afternoon of September 18 last year, selecting a seat next to her and trapping her against the window – a common tactic used by sex offenders on public transport.

Officers arrested him from his home address and in interview he admitted being on the bus, but claimed he had brushed against the woman's leg accidentally – a defence dismissed by a jury on seeing CCTV evidence.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the woman said: "I moved closer to the window to get away from him but he wouldn't stop… I felt scared, trapped in, I couldn't move any closer to the window and didn't know anyone on the bus to ask for help.

"I didn't know how he would react if I said something to him…he kept staring at me. I started to panic, I couldn't move I was scared and felt sick. I then shouted at him to move."

Project Empower was launched in February 2014 to fast-track enquires into reports of sexual touching, lewd comments and indecent exposure and to urge passengers to report unwanted sexual advances on buses, trams and trains.