A TRAIN passenger has been jailed after making inappropriate comments towards a female passenger before touching her thighs.

Edgar Junior was jailed for 18 months after a sentencing at Reading Crown Court on Monday (July 17) for two counts of sexual assault, one count of using threatening words and one count of racially aggravated harassment.

The court heard that in March 2022, the 50-year-old had been travelling back from Paddington to Reading when he started lewd comments.

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Prosecuting the case, barrister Alice Aubrey-Fletcher explained Junior, who is a registered sex offender, had sat opposite the victim on the journey and said comments such as: “You’re beautiful,” and “Let me lick your p****”.

Another passenger tried to intervene but Junior called him an ‘idiot’ and added: “Look at her, she’s beautiful, look at her body.”

He then put his hands between her legs and thighs before later grabbing his crotch, talking about his penis and pushing his hips towards her.

Ms Aubrey-Fletcher explained that the woman was uncomfortable and had messaged her friend saying: “This is too much.”

She was fearful Junior was getting angry for refusing her so she moved to sit near other train passengers.

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However, Junior began making comments at another woman so the victim came back and told him to stop.

The entire incident lasted for about 40 to 50 minutes before Junior was arrested at Reading Train Station.

He was later released on bail and between July and September 2022, he made similar lewd comments to another woman.

The first time she was sat on a bench with her partner when Junior sat beside her and started blowing kisses at her before rubbing her leg.

A few months later, she was walking home with her young daughter when she noticed Junior following behind on the opposite side of the road.

He crossed to be on the same road as her but soon retreated once her partner arrived. The victim said she felt ‘violated and shocked’ and now feels her day-to-day habits have been changed by the incident.

She feels unsafe walking home at night.

Defending Junior, barrister Caroline Stewart said the defendant had been ‘self-medicating’ with alcohol at the time.

Since being in custody, Ms Stewart said he has improved himself.

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“He acknowledges the behaviour is complete unacceptable,” she said. “When he’s better and feeling well he can see, as well as the next person, how unacceptable his behaviour is.”

Judge Hassan Khan sentenced Junior, of Patrick Haugh Road, Bicester, with the ‘least possible sentence that the court can impose’.