Sex pest jailed again after 'repeatedly targeting lone women' on trains and exposing himself

A sex pest who exposed himself on trains twice in three days has been jailed for the second time in four years following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Serial sex offender, Oliver Shoesmith, was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment at Northampton Crown Court on Monday, July 13 having pleaded guilty to two counts of exposure. He was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

This sentence comes after the 44-year-old, previously of High Street, Aldershot, was jailed for two years in 2022 for pleasuring himself at Portchester station in front of women.

The court heard how on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 Shoesmith boarded a train at Guildford railway station bound for Farnham before spotting a lone woman and opting to sit across the aisle from her despite there being many other empty seats. The woman, who was reading her book, didn't initially notice as Shoesmith unzipped his jacket and trousers before exposing himself.

She stood up and moved down the train away from him, with Shoesmith also moving to sit diagonally from another woman who was sat across from her husband. He proceeded to expose himself again before masturbating.

Only two days later, on Thursday, August 22, he boarded a train at Brighton railway station bound for Bedford and again sat across the aisle from a woman. She noticed Shoesmith masturbating and exposing himself while looking directly at her and screamed.

A member of railway staff came to the victim’s aid and the offender moved down the carriage before getting off the train at Burgess Hill.

Detective Constable Ewen Roberts from the British Transport Police said: "Shoesmith has repeatedly targeted lone women on the railway in deliberate and horrific acts. His behaviour, repeated time and again, is completely unacceptable and I'm pleased he’s back behind bars.

"There is absolutely no place for sexual offending on the rail network, and we're committed to securing justice for anyone who is targeted by the likes of Shoesmith.

Shoesmith, who was also previously jailed in 2018 for three years for exposure and sexual assault and again for two years and four months in 2024 for breaching his SHPO and exposure, was linked to these offences.

He was arrested at HMP Five Wells on November 6, 2025 and was taken into custody for questioning. In an interview, he admitted to both incidents and later pleaded guilty before being sentenced to a further 10 months' imprisonment.

DC Roberts added: "I'd urge anyone who experiences or witnesses a sexual offence on a train or at a station to report it to us by texting 61016. We take every report seriously, and will stop at nothing to put offenders before the courts.”