A MAN who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl on a bus before following her into the ladies toilets has been warned he will be jailed if he does it again.

Burnley Crown Court heard how there was nobody else on the bus when the teenage victim, who can not be named for legal reason, boarded it at around noon on February 2.

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As it headed towards Burnley the defendant Naveed Sarwar, 36, boarded the bus and sat close to his victim at the back of the vehicle.

Prosecuting, Alaric Bassano said that the Sarwar, of Barkerhouse Road in Nelson. moved to the seat in front of his victim and initially engaged her in conversation. Mr Bassano said she initially humoured him before going on to ignore him.

The court heard that Sarwar moved in closer to her and started making sexual remarks towards the victim.

Mr Bassano said: “The words and actions made her feel extremely frightened.

“He said ‘you’re beautiful. He then leaned over the railing to her seat and started to fondle her thigh.

“He apologised but after a few seconds he continued to call her beautiful. She then moved to the front of the bus.”

The court heard how when the bus stopped at Burnley Bus Station she ran to a friend she had pre-arranged to meet.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the ordeal on the bus which lasted a number of minutes.

Mr Bassano said that visibly upset the victim went in to the ladies toilets at the station and just as she was going to tell her friend what had happened she was horrified to see Sarwar had followed her in.

The prosecutor said that Sarwar continued to make unwanted comments and was challenged by a woman who had heard a commotion.

The police were called and Sarwar, who has learning difficulties and suffers from mental illness for which he takes medication, answered no comment during interview.

But last week he pleaded guilty to sexual touching and was made subject of a two-year community order with the condition that he cooperates with mental health teams.

Judge Beverley Lunt also made Sarwar subject of a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, told him to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for five years and warned him that he will be sent to prison if he repeats the offence.

Judge Lunt said: “What you did was not only very, very wrong, it was terrifying. This must never happen again. If it happens again you will be back in front of me and I will send you to prison. You don’t talk to ladies on buses and you never touch them.”