A SENIOR social worker from Taunton pressed his penis against women on crowded commuter trains, a court heard today (Mon).

Gary Davies, 54, head of services for early intervention on Bristol City Council, leaned his crotch against women as they travelled to and from work, it was said.

He was eventually identified by a young woman who snapped a photo of him and handed it into police, Bristol Crown Court was told.

She told officers she had been subjected to over-the-clothes sex assaults by the defendant over a six month period as they traveled to work on the same train.

The 30-year-old presented cops with a photo of Davies taken on her phone, showing him pressing his crotch against another woman's shoulder.

One complainant said Davies had pressed himself against her shoulder and bottom as well as touching her thigh, between December 2015 and May 2016, the sex assaults occurred on journeys on the 07.24 train between Taunton, and Bristol Temple Meads over a six month period.

Undercover cops set up a sting, and spotted Davies leaning his crotch against two other women's shoulders as they sat in aisle seats.

He denied there was sexual intent, claiming he had a bad back which forced him to lean against seats in the aisle.

Prosecutor Anna Midgley said: "The allegation involves touching over clothing.

''The prosecution case is that Mr Davies gained sexual gratification by pressing himself up against women while travelling on a commuter train.

"It was contact which made them uncomfortable, which they did not want."

She added: "'A woman reported an incident to police.

''She explained there was a male who regularly took the train, and produced a photo she had taken on that day.

"The first incident was in December 2015, she had got on the train to Exeter and she recalled she was sitting at the front of a carriage in a window seat when this male had got on at Taunton and sat next to her.

"She remembered his hand was on his legs but moved across and touched her thighs.

''There was no apparent reason for him to do so apart from sexual gratification.

"The second incident was the next day when the same male got on at Taunton.

''This time she was sitting in the aisle seat when he came and stood next to her, with his groin against her shoulder.

"She could feel what she thought was his soft penis being pressed against her and it upset her.

"She didn't say anything at the time and she turned to look at him and was surprised to see it was the same man who had been sitting next to her."

After months of harassment, the woman approached police on May 9 2016 after taking a covert picture of Davies on her phone.

The following day, plain clothes officers boarded the train to see if they could identify the man in the photo.

The defendant was spotted pressing against one woman in an aisle seat, who gave him an "exaggerated look" prompting an apology, the prosecutor said.

He then moved to another aisle seat where he leaned against another woman, who realised he was pressing against her in a way that made her uncomfortable.

Ms Midgeley said: "She said there were several empty seats and the luggage racks. She could feel his penis pressing against her.

"She then turned and looked him in the eye, and she could see he was a man in his 50s with grey hair."

One of the victims spoke to officers at Temple Meads that day while the other traveled on to her destination and later filed a statement.

Davies was arrested and interviewed by police, and denied all the charges, saying he had never touched anyone's thigh and any contact was accidental as he leaned on seats due to a bad back.

Standing trial at Bristol Crown Court, Davies denied five counts of sexual assault.

The first woman to come forward said she was subjected to sex assaults between December 2015 and May 2016, while the other two women complained of being assaulted on May 10 2016.

Giving evidence, the first victim said: "I thought he probably didn't realise he was touching me and that it was making me feel uncomfortable.

"I believed what he was doing was pretty inconspicuous and was intentional."

Defence barrister Brian Altman told her: "You could have told him 'get off me you pervert'."

He reminded the complainant that she did not challenge the man who assaulted her and suggested she could have followed him to work.

Mr Altman told the complainant that his client, who she photographed on May 9, was not the man who touched her inappropriately.

The trial continues at Bristol Crown Court in front of Judge Peter Blair QC.