A 45-year-old jeweller from Kent has been jailed and placed on the sex offender’s register for life for assaulting teenage boys on trains.

Stephen Larcombe, of High Street, Wouldham, in Rochester, was found guilty last month at Southwark Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault against boys aged 16 and under.

The first offence occurred on a train travelling between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells in January 2006, and the second offence was four months later on a train travelling between Tonbridge and Paddock Wood.

On both occasions, Larcombe preyed on young teenage boys in an attempt to satisfy his own sexual gratification.

He was sentenced to two and half year for his crimes on Tuesday, and will have to register as a sex offender for life.

In sentencing Judge Anthony Pitts described Larcombe as a predatory sexual offender, and said: "Not only is there no remorse from you, (but) it looks from the pre-sentence report that you continue to protest your innocence."

Detective Sergeant Paddy Kerr, of the British Transport Police South Area Crime Unit, said police had tracked Larcombe after releasing a CCTV image of him walking along a Kent railway station platform, which yielded a high public response.

He said: "The victims in these cases reported serious allegations of sexual touching after being targeted by Larcombe on and off train services in the Tonbridge area.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the public who assisted us in arresting and bringing to justice a predatory sex offender.

"Larcombe’s actions were deplorable and have had a severe impact on the young victims in this case.”

He added: "I hope that this case will encourage any other victims of sex crimes to have the confidence to report such crimes so police can do their job and deal with such perpetrators."