Former Derbyshire footballer faces jail after sex act in front of horrified teenager

Shaun Tuton, aged 31, approached Lauren Hague, who was 17, as she waited for a taxi outside Sheffield railway station late at night in October 2021.

He was said to have been fondling himself under his joggers and groaning “sexually” as he approached Lauren, who has waived her right to anonymity and branded the professional footballer a “pervert”.

Lauren ran off to a nearby taxi and rang the police; and despite there being CCTV footage of the incident and witnesses, Tuton was identified and arrested but not charged.

The Crown Prosecution Service originally said there was not enough evidence.

But after contacting the media about her case to complain, Lauren was told a few days later that the decision had been reversed and Tuton was charged.

Tuton, who has previously played for Matlock Town, Belper, Buxton and Alfreton and now plays for Whitby Town FC as a striker, was found guilty of outraging public decency after a trial last week and warned he could face jail. His case has been adjourned for pre-sentence reports.

Lauren has questioned the CPS’s reluctance to prosecute a sexual offence “even when there is credible evidence to achieve a conviction”.

“It was terrifying. I thought he was going to grab me and I feared the worst. It was vile. I felt my heart beating heavy in my chest, I’d never felt in so much danger.’

“I was devastated when the CPS said they would be taking no further action. It had been an extremely traumatic experience and I didn’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

She added: “Women’s safety is absolutely vital, especially right now. To simply let this man free would have been vile and could’ve potentially posed threat to other women in the future.

“You hear all the time how crimes can escalate and offending patterns can get worse. This was serious and I’m thankful it’s been taken seriously as many cases similar to this are often not.”

Lauren, who is at university now but was an A-Level student at the time, had been returning home alone from a concert in Manchester on October 13, 2021, when she was approached by Tuton, who had been loitering.

During his trial, Tuton, of Greenwood Road, Darnall, Sheffield, denied that the man captured on CCTV was him, claiming he had not caught a train in years.

He was picked out by Lauren in an ID parade after police shared an image from the CCTV footage and Tuton’s name was put forward.

Lauren’s mum, Cheryl Hague, said: “As a victim of crime seeking justice you shouldn't have to fight the justice system - but it was important we did as it was such a serous matter. Lauren has been really brave and I hope she can now put this awful incident behind her.”