A CARE home worker grabbed a woman’s waist and another woman’s breasts during a string of sexual assaults.

Jonathan Reyes, 54, of Ilfracombe Road, Southend left his victims feeling “stressed and uncomfortable” after giving them “unwanted attention” and touching them during the incident in 2019.

He appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday where he avoided jail after being charged with 10 incidents of sexual assault.

The crown court heard Reyes touched the women sexually without their consent.

Prosecuting barrister, Claire Hooper outlined the offences to the court.

She said: “There were multiple complainants and he grabbed one women by the waist and tried to kiss another.

“It caused a lot of stress to these women who felt very uncomfortable and they felt they could not speak out.

“In one incident a women fell into his lap and he kissed her.”

READ MORE >>

Mitigating John Caudle told the hearing his client was “terrified” of the court case, adding the pre-sentencing report into Reyes was wrong.

He said: “When he got here he was terrified.

“The report states Mr Reyes was found guilty at a trial but this was not the case and he admitted to the offences.”

Sentencing Reyes, Judge Samantha Leigh, insisted if the case had gone to trial Reyes could have faced two-and-a-half years in prison rather than a suspended sentence.

She said: “He does have a desire to be tactile and it has caused some issues in this case.

“The most serious incident was where the women feel into his lap.

“In another incident he stroked a women’s leg and hugged another and grabbed one women’s breasts.

“It was unwanted attention and he also hugged one and grabbed the waist of another.

“It was deeply upsetting for these women.

“If this case had gone to trial you would have been given a sentence of two-and-a-half years.”

She told him he would get credit for admitting the offences, rather than putting the victims through a trial.

He was sentenced to 23 months in prison which was suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete the horizon programme, 100 hours of unpaid work and 60 days of rehabilitation requirement.