An accountant caught sexually molesting a young woman on the London Underground and who later admitted being a serial offender has been spared jail.

Three undercover police officers watched Emad Mauthoor, 48, rub his groin against the victim’s bottom as she travelled to work on the Central Line in August last year.

The married father-of-three, of Finchingfield Avenue, Woodford Green, initially denied the offence, claiming he had dozed off while standing up on the train, and must have accidentally leaned on the victim.

Jurors rejected his explanation and found him guilty of sexual assault by a majority of 11 to one following a short trial.

Since his conviction, Mauthoor has admitted responsibility and confessed to a number of other similar incidents to his probation officer, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Mauthoor was sentenced to a three year treatment and supervision order and told to pay the victim �250 compensation and �500 towards prosecution costs.

The judge Mr Recorder Michael Holland told him: “It seems to me that you are now facing up to the reality of what you have done.

“It seems that this type of behaviour has gone on for some time, looking at the pre-sentence report.

“I do not consider that you are low risk, indeed in terms of the pre-sentence report, I accept that you are a medium risk of re-offending, and this kind of offending is very unpleasant.

“Travellers on the Tube are entitled to look to the courts for protection from this kind of assault.

“However, this was at the lower end of the sentencing categories, and your admission of other offences, whilst indicating that you pose a risk, also enables me to consider this issue: to protect the public by ensuring that you don’t offend again.”

Mauthoor will remain on the sex offenders’ register for five years.