Nigerian man jailed for indecent act on train in UK

A 36-year-old registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola, has been sentenced to prison in the United Kingdom. He exposed himself and masturbated in front of a woman on a train heading to Manchester.

Odutola got 44 weeks in jail at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14. He pleaded guilty to one count of outraging public decency and breaching a suspended sentence order.

The British Transport Police said the incident happened around 7pm on Friday, September 11, while Odutola was on a train passing through Cheshire to Manchester Piccadilly station.

The police report said Odutola approached the woman and “looked her up and down intimidatingly.” When she did not engage with him, he acted aggressively.

Odutola then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair. He masturbated while looking at the woman and told her to “come over.” Another passenger, upset by what happened, helped the woman leave the carriage.

CCTV footage showed Odutola continuing to masturbate as other passengers walked through the carriage. Police arrested him when the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly station.

British Transport Police Detective Constable Leonidas Christoforou said the incident must have been frightening for the woman, who was alone.

“Odutola is clearly an incredibly dangerous individual. His disturbing behaviour must have been terrifying for the victim, who he targeted when she was travelling on her own,” he said.

Christoforou mentioned that Odutola denied the allegations during a police interview. But he later pleaded guilty after police showed him evidence against him.

“He’s shown little remorse for his actions and denied the allegations during his police interview. But the strong evidence, including CCTV and several witness accounts, left him with little choice but to plead guilty in court,” he said.

The police noted that this was not Odutola’s first offence. He was already a registered sex offender.

“This was not a one-off from Odutola. This type of alarming, predatory behaviour will not be tolerated on our railways,” Christoforou said.

He added that their team would continue to go after offenders who commit such crimes on the railway.

“Holding vile offenders like him to account is our top priority. We are tireless in our efforts to bring them to justice,” he said.

Christoforou also urged the public to report any sexual offences they witness or experience on the railway.

“If you see or experience these crimes on the railway, please report it to us by texting 61016. We will always take action,” he said.

The British Transport Police confirmed that Odutola was jailed within 72 hours of the incident.