John Edward Kilgannon

John Edward Kilgannon, a 66-year-old man from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, has been described as a twisted sex offender after repeatedly groping teenage passengers on a bus. The incidents occurred on the Arriva bus service travelling from Middlesbrough to Peterlee between October and November 2015. Kilgannon sat behind his victims and reached through the gap between the bus seats to stroke the girls on their sides, with each assault lasting up to 20 minutes.

One of the 17-year-old victims reported the matter to the police, which led to Kilgannon's identification through CCTV footage. He was subsequently arrested at his home in Stockton-on-Tees. The court heard that Kilgannon had been drinking prior to each offence and admitted that he carried out the acts 'for his sexual pleasure', as stated by prosecuting barrister Paul Power.

On Friday, 11 April 2016, at Teeside Magistrates' Court, Kilgannon pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault. Despite the severity of the offences, he was spared jail by chairman of the bench Paul Harrison, who noted that such matters are taken 'very seriously'. Instead, Kilgannon received a two-year community order and was ordered to pay £200 in compensation to each victim.

The assaults had a profound impact on the victims. One teenager described in her victim impact statement how the incident had a 'huge impact from a confidence point of view in terms of public transport', adding that she now 'felt uncomfortable' when men looked at her. The second victim reported missing several days of college and feeling 'nervous around older men' following the attack.

Defending barrister Liz McGowan highlighted that Kilgannon was of previous good character and attributed his actions partly to alcohol, which had 'lessened his inhibitions' on the bus. She quoted her client as saying, 'He’s not saying it’s solely the drink’s fault. He’s saying he did this for his own sexual pleasure.' McGannon added that Kilgannon was remorseful, had not repeated the behaviour, and had endured nearly four months of bail from 26 November 2015 to 7 March 2016, during which the matter weighed heavily on his mind. The case was reported by the Daily Star and Evening Gazette.