James Gathercole

James Gathercole, a 40-year-old man from Leigham Court Road, London, was jailed for two years and four months at Lewes Crown Court on February 2, 2025, after pleading guilty to two counts of exposure and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) as well as his prison release licence.

The primary incident occurred on July 15, 2024, on a train travelling from London to East Grinstead in Sussex. A woman noticed Gathercole staring at her from a nearby seat. After other passengers disembarked at East Croydon, he fully exposed himself and began masturbating while continuing to stare at her. The woman alighted at Upper Warlingham and reported the matter to rail staff, who alerted the British Transport Police (BTP). Officers boarded the train at East Grinstead, where they found Gathercole asleep and arrested him. It subsequently emerged that he was in breach of a ten-year SHPO imposed in July 2024, which prohibited him from contacting lone women or using public transport without a valid payment method; he violated both conditions during the incident. Additionally, he had breached his prison release licence six days prior by failing to remain at home after 7pm.

The second count of exposure related to an incident on June 4, 2024, on a train in south London, where Gathercole similarly exposed himself and masturbated in front of a woman. This offence took place only weeks after his release from prison on May 26, 2024, following convictions for two separate similar incidents earlier that month, for which he had been sentenced to prison and received the SHPO.

BTP Detective Constable Jean-Pierre Choolhun commented: “It is entirely right that, following our investigation, James Gathercole is now back in custody. There is absolutely no place for this sickening behaviour in our society. We take all reports of sexual offending extremely seriously, and this case demonstrates that commitment. Our officers acted immediately, intercepting the train and arresting Gathercole shortly after the report was made.” The case was investigated by British Transport Police, highlighting their swift response to reports of sexual offences on the rail network.