Convicted sex offender Craig Anthony Salter caught masturbating on bus

A convicted sex offender with links to a serial killer has been jailed for his latest horrific act – this time multiple children were present.

Convicted sex offender Craig Anthony Salter caught masturbating on bus.

A sex offender who was previously convicted for thrusting his groin at the buttocks of a 17-year-old woman in a major chain store has now been busted masturbating in front of schoolchildren.

Craig Anthony Salter, 54, had also been convicted of common assault after he asked a woman “do you feel my healing power” while stroking her hand and called her “very beautiful” and moaned, Crown prosecutor Cameron Keast told Rockhampton District Court on March 18, 2025.

He also tried to give the woman a massage.

Salter was in the district court this week being sentenced this time for masturbating in front of schoolchildren.

Mr Keast said this offence took place while he was on a bus to Mount Morgan and a 14-year-old girl sitting to his left noticed strange behaviour.

“She heard loud noises coming from the defendant,” he said.

Mr Keast said the girl then saw what Salter was doing.

The court heard others made the bus driver aware of what Salter was doing.

Judge Brad Farr said the bus driver stopped the bus and told Salter to stop masturbating.

He said Salter was arrested a week later as the victim’s father filmed Salter exiting the bus at the end of the trip.

The court heard Salter was intoxicated on the bus, and had been intoxicated when he assaulted the woman he tried to massage.

During the sentencing for the sexual act against the 17-year-old in Big W, the court heard alcohol could be smelled on his breath.

The victim in that offence felt Salter come up behind her and thrust his groin at her buttocks.

Convicted sex offender Craig Anthony Salter caught masturbating on bus.

She was able to tell he was not wearing underwear and could feel his penis.

Salter was shopping with his 83-year-old mother at the time.

During this sentence, it came to light that Salter once dated one of Rockhampton serial killer Leonard Fraser’s victims Beverley Leggo for 12-months.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden said Salter receives a disability pension due to blackouts and seizures.

She said he sustained a head injury in 2002 and has a history of mental health issues including overdoses and presentations at the hospital.

Ms Marsden said Salter had a long-term alcohol abuse issue having started drinking when he was 14 years old and had attempted rehabilitation programs including Gumbi Gumbi and Alcoholic Anonymous.

She said he had also started consuming marijuana at 14 but is clean of that drug now.

Ms Marsden said Salter claims he does not recall the bus incident as he was highly intoxicated.

“(Salter) seems to have significant difficulties in the way (he) treats females (he) is intoxicated,” Judge Farr said.

Salter pleaded guilty to one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 (expose) and was sentenced to 362 days prison with 362 days presentence custody declared as time already served.