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A man who touched a woman’s bottom at a church has been banned from the place of worship.
Jyhun Zeynalov, 38, from Stoke-on-Trent, contacted police after the incident and admitted he “may have touched her back or bottom but it was not a sexual act”. He later pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a woman in a churchyard, for which he received a suspended prison sentence in 2022.
Prosecutor Barry White said the woman was at a church in Stoke-on-Trent when she felt a hand on her lower back. She turned to see Zeynalov’s hand move to her bottom “for one second”. She walked away and reported it.
In a victim impact statement, the woman — who has devoted her life to Christ — said she no longer feels safe in church, her confidence has collapsed, and she lives in fear of being touched again. She has turned to alcohol, feels “worthless” and is in constant danger around men, the Stoke Sentinel reported.
Defence lawyer Lynette McClement said Zeynalov is no longer allowed in the church and needs help with alcohol and his behaviour.
Recorder Julian Taylor told him: “I hope you are very sorry about that. You need to set some boundaries. You need to address your alcohol problem. You need to be aware that women do not want to be approached in this manner unless they give you full consent.”
Zeynalov was sentenced to a two-year community order, placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years, and ordered to complete 20 days’ rehabilitation, alcoholism treatment, 200 hours of unpaid work and a sex offenders’ programme.