John Anthony Smith, 24, was charged with obscene exposure and committing an act of indecency after female passengers on the 6.24am train from Dapto to Bondi reported seeing Smith repeatedly pleasuring himself as he stared at them.

Court documents said Smith, dressed in a long, baggy blue t-shirt, black tracksuit pants, a black cap and white shoes, moved from seat to seat, masturbating his penis to erection in front of a number of women over a 16 minute period.

Smith admitted his guilt during a court appearance in March, entering pleas to both charges.

Police documents tendered to the court in Smith’s case reveal he did not speak to any of the women during the bizarre display but stared at them while performing the acts.

One of the women contacted police, who met the train at Waterfall Railway Station a short time later.

The women provided details to officers at the time then gave them a written statement the following day.

Police obtained CCTV footage of the incident, however, when unable to identify Smith from their records, they put put out a plea for help via Facebook.

The post included still photos of Smith walking along the platform.

The court heard Smith surrendered to police the following day.

“Smith acknowledged it was him in the footage but stated he could not remember the incident at all,” court documents said.

However Smith did agree to let officers photograph the shoes and the hat he had been wearing.

He was taken to Wollongong Police Station by declined to be formally interviewed.

In court on Tuesday, Magistrate Cate Follent sentenced Smith to seven months’ jail, with a non-parole period of four months.

She acknowledged that he had been under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, and while did explain his actions, said it did not excuse them.

“He needs to receive drug and alcohol counselling upon his release to parole,” she said.

With time served, Smith will be paroled on July 8.

Illawarra Mercury