A bus pervert has been jailed for targeting three schoolgirls and leaving them terrified and traumatised.

Barry Aldcroft, 38, followed the 15-year-old girls onto a bus in Newcastle after talking to them at Haymarket bus station. During the journey, he was caught looking at the girls while carrying out a sex act on himself.

When the girls decided to get off the bus early, Aldcroft touched one of them on the bottom as she retrieved her phone charger.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the girls had been shopping in the city when one of their mothers allowed them to stay out a little longer and get the bus home together. They were at the Haymarket bus station in the afternoon when Aldcroft approached them and asked for a lighter.

The girls got on a bus to Blyth and went upstairs to sit at the back. Aldcroft followed them and, despite plenty of empty seats, sat just in front of them on the opposite side.

As the bus travelled towards Cramlington, one of the girls noticed Aldcroft constantly looking at them and felt uncomfortable, prompting her to switch seats with her friend.

Another girl noticed Aldcroft patting the seat next to him as if inviting them to sit, even beckoning them over with his hand.

Prosecutor Neil Pallister stated that Aldcroft spread his legs and touched himself while looking in the girls' direction. This prompted the girls to get off the bus early, and when one girl went back to retrieve her phone charger, Aldcroft poked her bottom.

Pallister said the girl turned to look at Aldcroft, who smiled at her while exposing himself. The girls were visibly distressed and reported the incident to the bus driver, who called 999.

Aldcroft initially claimed he was "adjusting himself" but later admitted to punching a man in the face after getting off the bus because he didn't like the way the man was looking at him. He had learned about the accusations against him at that point.

In victim impact statements, the girls described how the incident affected their education, independence, and well-being. One girl said she struggled to cope and was afraid to use buses. Another girl shared that she experienced insomnia and nightmares for weeks afterwards.

The girl who was sexually assaulted stated that the incident took away her independence, causing panic attacks and anxiety. She expressed hope that Aldcroft would never harm another person.

Her mother added that Aldcroft had taken away a significant part of her daughter's life before it had even begun.

Aldcroft was convicted of exposure, sexual assault, sexual activity in the presence of a child, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He also admitted to assault by beating.

He was sentenced to four years in prison, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, and subjected to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order. He is also barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

Judge Penny Moreland told Aldcroft that his actions had impacted the lives of the girls in a way they may never recover from.

The court learned that Aldcroft had 11 previous convictions. In 2021, he was given a community order for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, using a decoy profile of a 14-year-old girl. In 2022, he received another community order for breaching a sexual harm prevention order by speaking to his neighbor's children.

Defence attorney Penny Hall claimed Aldcroft suffered a brain injury in his youth, making him vulnerable.