A pervert who was jailed for masturbating on a train is back behind bars after committing the same offence 12 days following his release from prison. James Gathercole, 40, from Streatham, south London, was caught staring at a woman at a nearby seat on a train to East Grinstead, West Sussex, on July 15 last year.

When the carriage emptied out at East Croydon, Gathercole exposed himself and started to masturbate while continuing to glare at the woman, who got off the train at Upper Warlingham and reported him to station staff. British Transport Police was called and officers met the train at East Grinstead station where they found Gathercole sleeping in the carriage.

The force said officers arrested him there and then, with checks on a national police database showing he was in breach of licence conditions and a sexual harm prevention order.

Det Cons Jean-Pierre Choolhun from British Transport Police said: “There is absolutely no place for this sickening behaviour in our society.”

The database check also showed Gathercole had been released from jail 12 days earlier after exposing himself and masturbating in front of women on two separate occasions on trains in London on May 26, 2024.

He was jailed for those offences in July that year and made subject to a 10 year long sexual harm prevention order, which banned him from travelling on public transport without paying or contacting lone women.

Gathercole also breached prison licence conditions stipulating he had to be at home after 7pm, leading to his further arrest for that offence, committed on July 9.

The second count of exposure related to a separate incident where Gathercole exposed himself and masturbated on a train in south London on June 4, 2024.

He was sentenced to two years and four months at Lewes Crown Court on February 2 after pleading guilty to two counts of exposure, breaching a sexual harm prevention order and the conditions of his prison release licence.

Det Cons Choolhun said: “It is entirely right that, following our investigation, James Gathercole is now back in custody.”

He said the case shows that the force takes all reports of sexual offending extremely seriously and officers acted immediately, intercepting the train and arresting Gathercole shortly after the report was made.

Anyone who is victim or witness of a sexual offence on the railway can report it to British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40.