Faramarz Atshan, 71, of Mona Vale, sexually touched girls with his toes on northern beaches buses

A former high school maths teacher used his bare toes to sexually touch the buttocks of a schoolgirl and three young women on buses in Sydney’s northern beaches.

Faramarz Atshan, 71, of Mona Vale, outside Manly Local Court after he was convicted of sexual touching offences for using his bare toes to touch the bottoms of girls and young women sitting on northern beaches' buses. Picture: Manly Daily

An elderly man slipped off his shoes and used his toes to sexually touch a schoolgirl and young women sitting in front of him on public buses, a Sydney court has been told.

Faramarz Atshan, 71, a former high school maths teachers, rubbed bare toes against the bottoms of four victims sitting on buses on the northern beaches.

Atshan, of Mona Vale, would deliberately sit behind his female victims — aged 16, 18, 19 and 21 — and stick his feet between the handrests of the seats in front of him before pushing his toes into, or brushing against, their buttocks, Manly Local Court heard on Thursday.

One of his victims, a 16-year-old girl in school uniform, was sexually assaulted twice in a month by his bare toes.

Each victim said their attacker wore a black cap and dark glasses.

Faramarz Atshan, 71, of Mona Vale. His victims said he was wearing a black cap when they were touched by his toes. Picture: Manly Daily

Atshan’s lawyer told the court her client advised her he needed to rest his feet on the handrests to help alleviate the pain of a knee surgery.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of sexually touch another person without their consent.

The court heard at 1pm on November 14, 2021, a 19-year-old woman stepped onto the 199 bus to Palm Beach, at Warringah Mall, and sat near the back of the vehicle.

Atshan sat directly behind her before he stuck his toe through the gap in the victim’s seat.

In a facts sheet tendered to court, police state Atshan “proceeded to touch and brush the victim’s buttock’s for between five to 10 minutes as she tried to “shuffle” and pull away from his protruding toe.

Faramarz Atshan, 71, of Mona Vale, in Manly, waiting for a bus, after he was convicted for using his bare toes to touch the bottoms of girls and young women sitting on northern beaches' buses. Picture: Manly Daily

The woman took two photos of Atshan on her mobile phone before telling the driver to pull over because “she feared for her safety”.

The bus stopped on Pittwater Rd, Narrabeen, before the driver locked the doors and called police.

Police said that twice, on separate days, in February 2021, Atshan removed his shoe from his right foot and poked the bottom of a 16-year-old schoolgirl on the 179 bus from Warringah Mall to Wheeler Heights.

She tried to move away from his feet, but he “continued to press his toes on her bottom”.

The girl got off the bus and told her parents about the assault.

Just days later, Atshan sat behind her again on the 179 bus and pushed his toes through the gap in the seat and touched her bottom. She took his photo and got off the bus.

On December 13, 2021, an 18-year-old woman felt a “brushing sensation” against her buttocks on the 199 bus. She told police that even though she tried to move away from the toes, he “persisted”.

The 199 bus from Manly to Palm Beach – the route on which three young woman were sexually touched by toes. Picture: Supplied

On January 12, 2022, a 21-year-old woman got on the 199 bus at Manly and felt Atshan’s bare feet touching her bottom. She took his photo before getting off the bus.

He was arrested on February 3, 2022.

During the police interview he said: “If they didn’t want to, they should have said something”.

Atshan’s lawyer said her client, who has a masters degree in teaching from the Western Sydney University, was divorced, lived on his own, suffered with depression and had “cognitive issues”.

Magistrate Robyn Denes said while she accepted Atshan had “issues”, she did not accept that the toe touching were accidental.

“The concerning part is that young women and girls have the right to travel on public transport without fear of being sexually assaulted,” Ms Denes told Atshan.

“There is an expectation … that people don’t randomly touch people you don’t know.

“These offences occur way to often.”

Atshan was given a community correction order to be of good behaviour for three years. He was also ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.