A pervert simulated a sex act while menacing a terrified student waiting for a train at Canterbury West station.

For over an hour, and captured on CCTV throughout, Damien Olubek subjected his victim, who he did not know, to what was described as being among the "greatest fears" for a lone female traveller.

The 21-year-old repeatedly asked the woman for kisses and hugs, poked, squeezed and touched her arm and leg, and tried to pull her hand towards his crotch area as he performed his lewd act.

He had even followed her from a bench outside the station where he had first troubled her and onto a platform, where a member of the public eventually came to her aid and alerted station staff.

Olubek, who lives in Margate High Street, then tried to avoid being identified by telling an officer his name was 'Steven Gerrard' before fleeing.

But although it was said on his behalf at Canterbury Crown Court that the touching of the victim was not in itself sexual, Judge Mark Weekes remarked that the "aggressive, humiliating and frightening" behaviour could not be merely regarded as the actions of what is colloquially termed a "sex pest".

Sentencing Olubek on June 26, the judge told him: "The victim was subjected to what must have been for her a very distressing and alarming ordeal, lasting over an hour, in which you engaged in behaviour which sometimes, erroneously in my opinion, is referred to as acting like a sex pest.

"Pests are insects that annoy people momentarily. You were engaging in sexually aggressive behaviour towards her - asking her for kisses, asking for hugs and acting as you were with a random stranger.

"Behaving in that way must have been humiliating, frightening and very troubling for her because it continued into the station and when you sat next to her.

"You were touching her, squeezing her....Most humiliating and revolting for her, you engaged in masturbation over the top of your clothing.

"All of that must have added to the anxiety, fear and deep concern she must have experienced."

The court heard the woman first encountered Olubek when he sat down next to her on a bench outside the front of the station in Station Road West on the evening of June 13 last year.

Prosecutor James Harrison said he initially engaged in "small talk" but then began touching her leg, asking for a cuddle and if he could kiss her.

She refused but over the next hour or so he could be seen on CCTV leaving the area, only to return and initiate contact again with fist pumps and handshakes.

Feeling uncomfortable, the woman then made her way to a platform to wait for her train.

But an undeterred Olubek followed her into the station where he was said to have disappeared into the men's toilets "for some time" before re-emerging and targeting his victim again.

He first sat on a bench next to where she was standing and, when she took a seat on another empty bench, he moved to join her, sitting close enough to start poking, grabbing and squeezing her.

Mr Harrison told the court the defendant, who was also drinking from a beer can, then began to simulate a sex act over his clothing before grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her hand towards him.

The woman, however, managed to pull away and left the bench in tears.

It was at this point that a man also waiting on the platform noticed her distressed state and alerted staff.

"The defendant left and outside the station he was seen and spoken to," said Mr Harrison. "He was initially hesitant to engage but then gave the name Steven Gerrard and ran away."

The court heard, however, that Olubek returned to the station later that evening and was arrested.

Although his six previous convictions are not for any sexual offences, he was said to be on licence from prison at the time. Details of those crimes were not given during the hearing, however.

Having been charged with sexual assault, Olubek initially denied the offence, claiming the incident had never happened and had been "made up" in spite of the "clear as day" CCTV evidence.

He was also heard to shout out "I never touched this girl" during his sentencing hearing, despite having finally admitted the offence just moments earlier.

But his lawyer, Hugh D'augliar, said that although it was an "unpleasant" offence and "nothing good" could be said of his client's behaviour, he had now accepted responsibility and shown "an element" of remorse.

"It must have been a terrible situation for the complainant but he is man enough to realise his actions and what he did were wrong," he added.

The court heard Olubek has been in custody since March this year.

Jailing him for 41 weeks, the judge said the fact he was also drinking alcohol at the time would have made him seem all the more "unpredictable" to his victim.

"It was, I think it is fair to say, for a lone woman travelling, among their greatest fears that they should be targeted in the way you were doing that evening," added Judge Weekes.

On his release, Olubek will be subject to 12-months supervision and will have to sign on the sex offender register for 10 years.