On a day in March 2023, 59-year-old Xin Zhang was seen inappropriately touching himself in the sauna of the Tom Husband Leisure Centre at Salford University.

Witnesses reported Zhang had his shorts down below his knees and was 'staring' at a woman through the glass window while 'rubbing himself.' Prosecutors highlighted that he was seemingly 'aroused' by the pool jets prior to entering the sauna.

Following the incident, staff confronted Zhang, informed him of his ban, and contacted the police. He later pleaded guilty to outraging public decency.

Zhang maintained that he was not engaging in a sexual act but rather was 'cold from having been swimming' and was attempting to warm himself by putting his hands in his shorts.

During a trial of issue at Bolton Magistrates' Court on February 3, the court examined the validity of Zhang's claims. However, magistrates identified 'inconsistencies' in his story, concluding the act was for sexual gratification. Zhang is set to be sentenced in June.

In court, the woman who witnessed the act described how Zhang pulled his pants down and began touching himself while making eye contact with her. She stated it lasted for 'three to four minutes' and firmly believed it was a sexual act.

When asked about Zhang's claim of being 'very cold,' she pointed out that it was a sauna with temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, expressing feelings of anger and vulnerability from the experience.

The staff member who intervened did not see the act but noted the distressed appearance of the woman and reported her comment about Zhang's behavior.

Further testimony revealed that this wasn't Zhang's first incident of inappropriate behavior around the facility, leading staff to be aware of his prior misconduct.

Zhang insisted to the management that he was simply 'adjusting himself,' which he later clarified meant he was 'warming' his private parts due to feeling cold and having a medical condition requiring loose clothing.

In his defense, Zhang described laying down in the sauna due to feeling cold and tired, having loosened his shorts before hearing someone knocking on the glass.

Despite acknowledging the unacceptability of his behavior, his defense attorney argued that there were no sexual undertones to his actions.

However, the magistrates emphasized the consistency of the prosecution witnesses' statements against Zhang's conflicting accounts, ultimately deciding that the nature of his act was for sexual gratification.

Zhang, who has lived in the UK for more than 20 years, is scheduled for sentencing on June 24, with the possibility of facing up to six months in prison.