LIAM JONAS FROM GREAT YARMOUTH ISSUED NATIONAL BAN FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORT AFTER SEXUAL OFFENCES
A man from Great Yarmouth with previous sex offence convictions has been subject to a nationwide ban from approaching women and girls on public transportation.Liam Jonas was issued a five-year sexual harm prevention order after being sentenced for sexual misconduct aboard buses in Great Yarmouth.
He had previously stroked a 14-year-old girl and touched a 21-year-old woman during bus journeys.
Jonas, aged 30 of Wellington Road, who has learning difficulties, admitted to two counts of assault by beating, related to the incidents last June.
These charges involved inappropriate touching of his victims on buses.
Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court was told that Jonas was registered as a sex offender until June 2020 and had already been convicted of two sexual assaults in 2013.
His recent conduct on buses prompted Norfolk police to seek a national restriction preventing him from sitting or standing near females while using public transport.
On June 12, Jonas sat behind a 14-year-old girl on a bus and stroked her, prompting her to describe him as "creepy" and to say she was "disgusted" by his actions.
The following day, he sat beside a 21-year-old woman and reached out to touch her.
Prosecutor Katherine Kibryra-Deane stated that the woman was "shocked and worried about what he would immediately do next," and as a result, she avoided buses for three weeks due to feeling unsafe.
The court noted that Jonas has three convictions for six offences, including the two sexual assaults from 2013, which contributed to his previous banning from buses in Great Yarmouth.
Mitigation was presented by Anne Marie Sheridan, who explained that Jonas has ADHD and autism, has not been in education since age 13, and has no involvement with social work agencies.
She described him as feeling socially awkward and attempting to meet women on buses, which he approached in a "clumsy" manner, adding, "He was just hoping he was going to meet someone." The five-year transportation ban includes a clause allowing him to be near females if absolutely unavoidable due to bus congestion.
Additionally, Jonas received a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 24 months, was placed on a 24-month probation order, and ordered to pay £250 in compensation to each of his two victims.
