A registered sex offender who groped a horrified teenage girl on a train at night has been jailed.

Matthew Lewis, of Sittingbourne, attacked his victim after she and a friend boarded the service at Margate station.

The 55-year-old, who has 251 previous offences for 95 convictions, was locked up at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, where prosecutors laid out their case.

The court was told Lewis approached the girls in June last year and persistently made inappropriate comments towards both, asking to take them for a drink and suggesting they run away with him.

He continued despite both girls insisting that they were only 16.

“The girls removed themselves from their location towards other passengers and Mr Lewis sat next to them,” said Anoushka Twining, prosecuting."

She added Lewis then put her hand on the victim's leg and sexually assaulted her.

Noticing the girls looking uncomfortable, a man who was sat nearby challenged Lewis’ behaviour and a group of passengers invited the girls to sit with them further down the carriage.

The girls moved away and got off the train at Rainham, but Lewis followed.

The pair pointed him out to staff and police soon arrived and arrested him.

The court heard Lewis was in breach of a criminal behaviour order issued in 2019 at the time of the assault.

It meant Lewis would be committing a criminal offence if he was drunk on a train, or had an open alcohol container in public, outside of a licensed premises.

Lewis’ victim attended Thursday’s sentencing hearing, where she described the aftermath of his “repellent and frightening” actions, before seeing him jailed for three years.

The court heard Lewis has a “truly appalling” criminal record, with one past conviction for exposure.

Judge Mark Weekes also sentenced Lewis for various other behaviour order breaches and failing to comply with notification requirements.

The court heard Lewis was discovered intoxicated at Faversham station on July 1, and Margate station on August 7.

He was “asleep or unconscious lying next to a bottle of wine” on a train with vomit on his jumper, the prosecutor explained.

When a member of staff tried to escort him out of the station he threatened to punch them.

Lewis was released from HMP Elmley in April and gave the police an incorrect address, placing him in breach of notification requirements.

He was soon arrested and found to be in possession of amphetamines.

“Lewis is a dangerous individual who subjected a young girl to extremely unacceptable sexual behaviour, and I’m pleased to see him behind bars..."

The court heard Lewis pleaded guilty to sexual assault, breaching criminal behaviour orders, failing to comply with notification requirements and possession of a Class B drug at the lower court.

Judge Mark Weekes told Lewis, who appeared remotely from HMP Elmley: “You made it virtually your mission in life to disobey those terms [of the criminal behaviour orders].”

He branded the sexual assault a “frightening and repellent” act towards a brave girl, with his actions having a “profound effect” on her.

The judge called Lewis’s criminal record “truly appalling”, adding: “You were drunk and you were seen to be slurring your words.

“As a result of that, you approached two young girls, and one of them you sexually assaulted in a most unpleasant fashion. You were stroking her right leg in an upward direction.”

Lewis, of Deerton Street, suffers “particularly acute” difficulties with alcohol which causes “disorderly and chaotic” behaviour,” Phil Rowley said in mitigation.

He added Lewis wished to “apologise profusely” to his victim.

BTP Detective Constable Stephen Gadd, said: “Lewis is a dangerous individual who subjected a young girl to extremely unacceptable sexual behaviour, and I’m pleased to see him behind bars.

“His actions left the victim and her friend feeling hugely distressed, and I want to thank them for bravely reporting the incident and supporting our investigation. No one should experience such vile behaviour as they travel."

Lewis was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.