Sittingbourne man jailed for sexually assaulting teen on train

Police said Matthew Lewis subjected a teenage girl to 'extremely unacceptable sexual behaviour'

A man who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl on a train has been jailed for 34 months.

Matthew Lewis was convicted at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault.

The 55-year-old also admitted breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), handed to him for previous offences on the railway.

The offence took place on board a train to Rainham on 3 June last year.

The teenage girl and her friend boarded the train at Margate station when they were approached by Lewis, who persistently made inappropriate comments towards both girls, British Transport Police (BTP) said.

'Dangerous individual'

He asked to take them for a drink and suggested they run away with him, despite them insisting that they were 16 years old, before he sexually assaulted one of the girls.

Appearing drunk during his arrest, police officers discovered a breach of his CBO which restricted him from travelling on the network while intoxicated.

Lewis, of Deerton Street, Sittingbourne, was sentenced to 34 months' imprisonment and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Det Con Stephen Gadd said: "Lewis is a dangerous individual who subjected a young girl to extremely unacceptable sexual behaviour, and I'm pleased to see him behind bars.

"His actions left the victim and her friend feeling hugely distressed, and I want to thank them for bravely reporting the incident and supporting our investigation. No one should experience such vile behaviour as they travel."

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