A 36-year-old Nigerian man, Babatunde Odutola, has been sentenced to 44 weeks in prison in the United Kingdom after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and breaching a suspended sentence order following a disturbing incident involving a woman on a train.
Mr Odutola, who has no fixed address, was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, 2026, three days after the incident occurred.
According to the British Transport Police, BTP, Odutola approached a woman on a train travelling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly at about 7pm on Friday, September 11.
The court heard that he looked the woman up and down in an intimidating manner and became aggressive after she declined to engage with him.
He subsequently exposed himself while seated in a wheelchair and masturbated while looking at the woman and telling her to “come over”.
The woman was eventually escorted from the carriage by another passenger after becoming distressed by the incident.
BTP said CCTV footage showed that Odutola continued masturbating as other passengers moved through the carriage.
Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly station.
The investigation was concluded within three days, with Odutola appearing before the Manchester Magistrates’ Court on September 14.
He pleaded guilty to one count of outraging public decency and to breaching a suspended sentence order.
BTP said Odutola was already a registered sex offender and described the incident as not being an isolated occurrence.
Detective Constable Leonidas Christoforou of the British Transport Police said the victim had been singled out while travelling alone and described the incident as a terrifying ordeal.
According to the officer, Odutola initially denied the allegations during a police interview, but CCTV footage and witness accounts provided evidence against him.
The court consequently sentenced him to a total of 44 weeks’ imprisonment.
The police said the case demonstrated the importance of passengers reporting sexual or inappropriate behaviour on the railway.
BTP urged passengers who experience or witness such incidents to report them to the force by texting 61016.
The force said reports could help officers respond quickly and bring offenders before the courts.
