A Northwood man who was caught watching pornography on trains and singling out lone women has been handed a five-year Sexual Risk Order – the first to be imposed for a British Transport Police (BTP) case.
Robert Donovan, 32, of Thirlmere Gardens, was given the order at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, March 14.
It means he is prevented from:
– Approaching or communicating with anyone under the age of 16 who is not known to him, on any public transport
– Travelling on London public transport without his registered Oyster card
– Viewing any pornographic images in a public place
– Using any device capable of accessing the internet unless it has the capacity to retain internet history
– Deleting any internet history until inspected by police.
The order was made after Donovan was caught on CCTV watching pornography on trains around London and purposely sitting next to lone women.
Gareth Buffry, from the BTP Community Safety and Engagement Unit, said: “This demonstrates the British Transport Police’s continued approach to protecting the public from those who commit sexual acts on the transport network.
“This is the first order of its kind that we have obtained and it is evidence that we will utilise all methods at our disposal to ensure the travelling public do not have to be subject to this kind of behaviour again.
“Sexual Risk Orders are a valuable tool for those who we believe present a risk of sexual harm but have not been convicted.”
Sexual Risk Orders can be made where a person has done an act of a sexual nature as a result of which there is reasonable cause to believe that it is necessary for such an order to be made, even if they have never been convicted. They replace the previous Risk of Sexual Harm Orders.
The court needs to be satisfied that the order is necessary for protecting the public, or any particular members of the public, from sexual harm from the defendant; or protecting children or vulnerable adults generally, or any particular children or vulnerable adults, from sexual harm from the defendant outside the UK.
The Orders prohibit the defendant from doing anything described in the order, and can include a prohibition on foreign travel (replacing Foreign Travel Orders which were introduced by the Sexual Offences Act 2003).
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