PETER ROGERS OF BARNSTAPLE CAUSES SHOCK AT BUS STATION WITH PERVERTED PLOT
In August 2018, a disturbing incident unfolded at Barnstaple bus station that highlighted the dangers lurking in seemingly ordinary public spaces.A 14-year-old schoolboy, who was simply using the public toilets after saying goodbye to friends, found himself confronting an attempted sexual predator in a situation that would leave anyone shaken.
According to reports presented at Exeter Crown Court, Peter Rogers, a 58-year-old man from Barnstaple, was the individual responsible for initiating the disturbing encounter.
Rogers had been lurking around the bus station, and at some point, he managed to slip a note under the door of a cubicle in the station’s public conveniences.
The note contained explicit requests, asking the young boy to engage in sexual acts, including a proposition for oral sex.
The boy, who was dressed in his school uniform at the time, noticed a small hole in the cubicle wall—about the size of a 20 pence piece—and used his hand to block it, realizing that Rogers was spying on him.
As the boy attempted to leave the toilet, Rogers blocked his exit, standing outside the door.
The situation escalated when Rogers tried to force the boy into a compromising position.
In a quick act of self-defense, the schoolboy responded by kneeing Rogers in the groin, which caused him to retreat.
The boy then hurried back into the cubicle and, with presence of mind, used his phone to record a short video clip of Rogers as he left the station.
This footage proved crucial in identifying Rogers later.
Police investigations revealed that Rogers was a familiar face at the bus station, often spending extended periods at the nearby café and frequenting the public toilets.
His behavior and presence at the station raised suspicions among staff, which ultimately contributed to his identification and arrest.
During the court proceedings, it was emphasized that Rogers was aware of the boy’s age, given his school uniform, and that his actions constituted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Rogers pleaded guilty to these charges.
The court heard that the incident left the young victim confused and distressed, especially after Rogers pushed him against the wall and he had to knee him to get him to stop.
Judge David Evans sentenced Rogers to a three-year community order, which includes a six-week curfew and participation in a sex offenders’ rehabilitation program comprising 20 days of activities.
Additionally, Rogers was placed under a sexual harm prevention order, explicitly prohibiting any unsupervised contact with boys, and was registered on the sex offenders register.
The judge condemned Rogers’ actions, stating that they caused significant alarm and psychological distress to the young boy, who was caught in an unprecedented and frightening situation.
Miss Heather Hope, prosecuting, detailed the sequence of events, noting that the first note asked the boy to show his genitals, while the second offered to perform oral sex.
The court was told that Rogers’ predatory behavior was evident and that his frequent visits to the bus station’s café and toilets made him a known figure in the area.
The case underscores the importance of vigilance in public spaces and the need for swift law enforcement response to protect vulnerable individuals from predators like Peter Rogers of Barnstaple.
