The 45-year-old struck on late-night Tube and National Rail trains
A predator who prowled train carriages late at night before sexually assaulting lone women has been jailed. Sebastian Vernon, 45, targeted two female passengers on London Underground and National Rail services between March and April 2025.
He attacked a young woman on an empty Circle line train heading towards King’s Cross station at around 11pm on March 25. Vernon trapped the victim in her seat after purposely sitting next to her.
In a bid to escape his clutches, the woman pretended to leave the train but stayed on when she saw him disembark. Just weeks later, Vernon struck again on a train from Stevenage to Hitchin.
He boarded the service shortly before midnight on April 8 and again singled out a woman sitting in a quiet carriage. Vernon attempted to make small talk, prompting the female passenger to leave her seat and move towards the train doors.
Vernon proceeded to sexually assault her as she waited to leave, having followed her down the train. British Transport Police (BTP) investigators connected the two incidents to the same man, with the victim’s reports leading them to identify Vernon.
Officers arrested the sex offender as he emerged from a hearing for unrelated offences of assault, theft and possessing cannabis at a Central London court. Vernon, of Finborough Road, West Brompton, was found guilty of two counts of Sexual Assault following a trial at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
He was sentenced to six months in prison on July 1 and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.
BTP Detective Constable Iryna Cuthbert said: “I commend the bravery of the two women for reporting what happened and supporting our subsequent investigation which has resulted in another sex offender behind bars.
“Tackling sexual offending on the railway is a top priority for BTP and we encourage anyone who is victim of, or witness to, this crime type to report it to us by texting 61016. We take every report seriously and offenders like Vernon will be made to face justice.”
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