Muhammed Tahir at the Old Bailey . He was banned from using London Underground during rush hours after rubbing himself up against a woman in a busy carriage . A dry cleaner in his fifties has been banned from using the Tube during rush hours after targeting a young woman and rubbing his crotch and pot belly on her bottom . Mohammed Tahir , 53 , of Leytonstone , east London , got off his train at Mile End and picked a target on the platform - a 'confident and articulate ' professional in her 20s , a court heard . He then followed her onto a Central line service and stood as close to her as he could . Tahir sidled up to the victim and pretended to accidentally slide his hand across her thigh as she stood with other passengers in the busy carriage on a hot summer ’ s day . Unable to leave the packed train , she tried to change position and lean as far away as possible to escape his advances . But Tahir moved even closer and began rubbing his crotch and pot belly against her thigh and bottom . His behaviour was so obvious that it had attracted the attention of undercover police officers who were watching his every move . Eventually , the horrified young woman managed to attract the attention of one of them and Tahir was arrested , finally putting an end to the nightmare ordeal . Detectives later discovered that Tahir was charged with two similar offences in 2003 only to be cleared after the prosecution file failed to arrive in court in time . At the Old Bailey , Judge Rebecca Poulet QC said that the experience was clearly very 'frightening and shocking ' for the victim , who cried while giving evidence , despite seeming very confident and self-assured . He was convicted of sexual assault after a two-day trial at the Old Bailey , but the judge decided not to jail Tahir in the hope that he can tackle his problems under the supervision of Probation officers - despite saying 'there must be a custodial sentence ' . Tahir was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years , a 12-month supervision order , told to complete to do 150 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge . The judge also prohibited him from travelling on the Tube or entering any London Underground station between 7am and 10am and 4pm and 8pm for five years . Undercover police officers first spotted Tahir when he got off his train at Mile End at around 8am on 24 July last year . He followed a young woman onto a train , unaware that officer were watching his every move . The judge told Tahir : ‘ Your purpose in getting off was not because you were hot as you claimed but in order to look for a suitable young woman and to follow her on to the train for your activities . ‘ That is exactly what you did . So blatant was your conduct that no less than three undercover police officers saw you doing it and saw you looking at young women . ‘ You spotted [ the victim ] and followed her on to the Central Line train . It was fairly crowded and she stood centrally in the area near the double doors holding the rail with her right hand . ‘ When the train moved off she felt something brush her left side . She looked down and saw your hand by her side in a somewhat unnatural position and it made her uncomfortable . ‘ She moved to get away from you , still thinking the touching might be accidental . When the train moved again you came closer , pushing your stomach up against her and then your crotch . ‘ She leaned as far as she could in order to move herself away from you but you moved with her , pressing up against her . You pressed your crotch on her thigh and buttock . She could feel you pressed firmly against her buttock . ‘ Despite being a confident and articulate and fair witness she cried giving evidence and the experience was clearly frightening and shocking for her . ‘ In my view there must be a custodial sentence . You were in grave peril of going immediately to prison . I want to impose a sentence that will prevent you from behaving like this ever again and the public is best served by suspending this sentence . ’
Muhammed Tahir , 53 , followed woman in her 20s onto Central Line train . He was arrested and charged with attempted murder after he allegedly tried to rape the victim on a moving train.