THOMAS SAFE CHELTENHAM LEISURE CENTRE SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED AFTER FLASHING FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL
In November 2013, Thomas Safe, a 32-year-old man from Cheltenham, was convicted of a disturbing incident involving a young girl at a local leisure centre.Safe, who resides on Lincoln Avenue in Cheltenham, had a troubling history of indecent exposure convictions prior to this latest offence.
The case came to light when he admitted to flashing at a five-year-old girl in the Cheltenham leisure centre, leading to a court hearing at Gloucester Crown Court.
Initially, Safe denied the allegations, which were set to be tried in court.
However, as the trial was about to commence, he requested the judge, William Hart, to provide an indication of the potential sentence if he pleaded guilty.
The judge informed him that the maximum penalty he could face would be 27 months in prison.
After some deliberation, Safe decided to change his plea and admitted to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child at the Cheltenham leisure centre on May 22 of that year.
Following his guilty plea, Judge Hart remanded Safe into custody until November 28, pending the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
The prosecution, represented by Mark Worsley, detailed the circumstances of the offence.
The young girl had been at the leisure centre for a swimming lesson with her two older sisters.
After finishing her lesson, she went to her cubicle.
It was during this time that Safe allegedly opened the door of his own cubicle, dropped his shorts, and appeared to perform a lewd act on himself.
The girl reported the incident to her mother and grandmother, prompting police to be called to investigate.
When Safe was arrested, he initially claimed that the girl had mistaken what she saw.
He stated that he had been in a spa and sauna session, and was drying himself in his cubicle when the door unexpectedly opened, revealing him naked.
His defence lawyer, Andrew Hobson, acknowledged that Safe’s previous convictions for similar offences aggravated the case.
Hobson also highlighted that Safe had been in custody for the past six months, during which he had accessed rehabilitation programs aimed at addressing his behaviour.
Safe, who has worked as a self-employed carpenter, had a troubled past that began at the age of 16, when he was affected by alcohol, drugs, and a serious scooter accident that ultimately ended his prospects of becoming a professional footballer.
The injuries sustained in the accident significantly impacted his life, leading to a downward spiral that culminated in these recent offences.
It was also revealed that if the case had gone to trial, the jury would have been informed of Safe’s two previous convictions for engaging in sexual activity in front of children on trains in August and September 2010.
These convictions had been permitted to be disclosed by Judge Hart at an earlier hearing.
The first incident involved Safe on a train from Birmingham to Bristol, where he sat near a woman and her 15-year-old daughter and was observed pleasuring himself.
He was subsequently convicted of this offence.
About a month later, Safe was on a train from Worcester when he sat near a mother and her five-year-old daughter.
Again, he was seen engaging in lewd behaviour, and he admitted to the offence, stating that he did it for the thrill of being seen and caught.
These incidents marked a pattern of disturbing behaviour that spanned several years.
In addition to these offences, Safe’s history includes a series of lewd acts on trains dating back to 2001, when he was caught masturbating in bushes in Cheltenham while women passed by.
His repeated actions on public transport caused significant distress among women and children, with victims describing him as a “pervert” and expressing shock at his behaviour.
Following his arrest for the latest incident, Safe was remanded in custody and faced a sentencing hearing.
The court considered his history of sexual offences, which included multiple convictions for exposing himself and engaging in sexual acts in public places.
The judge ultimately sentenced him to 27 months in prison, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions and the need to protect the community from further harm.
