Watching pornography while traveling on trains or buses will be reported to the police.
Perpetrators could be jailed or fined for their behaviour, which counts as an ‘outrage to public decency,’ lawyers claim.
The threat follows a spate of reports of people watching sexual material on public transport.
In most cases, the perpetrators appeared to be viewing it on their smartphones while wearing headphones. Some of them turned their screens away from other passengers, but with little effect as the material was still visible in the window reflection. Others made no effort to conceal the explicit films.
Now transport bosses have urged travelers who see people watching porn to raise the alarm with staff.
A Transport for London spokesman said: ‘You don’t have to prove that it was a criminal offence or intentional to report it’. Siwan Hayward head of transport policing, added: ‘We do not tolerate any unwanted sexual behaviour.
‘We work closely with police taking all reports extremely seriously. If someone has made you feel uncomfortable, for example by viewing pornographic material, please tell the police or a member of our staff.’ According to experts, people who view porn in public places could be prosecuted for ‘outraging public decency’, and face a fine or jail.
While it is legal to watch porn at home, it could be classed as an ‘indictable offence’ to watch it in full view of others.
Passengers have been urged to report other unwanted sexual behaviour on its network, including leering or taking photographs of passengers without permission.
One barrister, who asked not to be named, said: ‘The common law offence of outraging public decency could apply to watching porn in a public place, visible to others. It is an indictable offence.’