Man who touched himself on bus jailed

Hall also banned from using public buses

Report by BBC Isle of Man

A man who touched himself inappropriately near a schoolgirl on a bus has been jailed.

Thomas Hall of Tromode House in Douglas was on a seat behind a 15-year-old during a journey on the Isle of Man last year.

Douglas Courthouse heard the girl saw Hall, touching himself in the reflection on the window.

The 33-year-old, who had previously been jailed for sexually assaulting a girl, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child, breaching a sexual harm prevention order, and breaching a short-term licence, and was jailed for two and a half years.

The court was told Hall had also breached a sexual harm prevention order by downloading the Snapchat and making six calls, before deleting the social media app, in November last year.

His defence advocate said the latest case had been a "stark wake-up call", and asked for "one last chance" for his client.

But Deemster Cook said Hall had shown no remorse and there was no personal mitigation in the case at all.

"You may well be seeking help, and it may well be working, but frankly you are a danger to the public as far as sexual offences are concerned," he said.

"I have a duty to the public as far as this offending is concerned."

He was also handed a new five-year sexual harm prevention order limiting his contact with children and his access to devices that can access the internet and social media apps.

Hall is also now banned from using all public buses.