Jose Tavares has been jailed for more than a year after stripping completely naked and sexually gratifying himself on a train at Ashford International station two weeks ago. The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to exposure, assaulting an emergency worker, and breaching requirements given to him for a previous sexual offence.
British Transport Police (BTP) officers were called by a member of rail staff to reports of a naked man in October. The worker had seen Tavares in the aisle of one of the train's coaches, fully exposed and sexually gratifying himself.
Arrest and assault
Body-worn footage shows Tavares standing in the middle of the carriage, as an officer says: "What are you doing? Put your clothes on." After his arrest, he was taken to hospital for a medical assessment. He spat in the face of police as they tried to transfer him to the station.
At Folkestone Magistrates' Court, Tavares was jailed for a total of one year and two weeks, after also being sentenced for breaching a suspended sentence and failing to meet the notification requirements after being placed on the sex offenders' register. Tavares, of no fixed address, was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Police response
BTP Detective Constable Andrew Devereese said: "I'd like to praise the member of rail staff who dealt with what was a challenging situation very professionally. His body-worn camera, which he switched on when he discovered Tavares, provided crucial evidence of Tavares' disturbing actions, and it also spared other passengers from seeing Tavares exposed as well. He also reported what he had seen immediately, allowing us to attend quickly to arrest the suspect. Tavares tried to feign ignorance about his involvement in the incident but significantly let slip to arresting officers that he was in the carriage with the rail worker. Tavares' behaviour was vile and it will never be tolerated on our railways."
Anyone who experiences or witnesses offending on the railway is urged to report it to BTP by texting 61016, or calling 999 in an emergency.
