Published: Wednesday, 20th January, 2010 3:29pm

Paedophile jailed for 'flashing' at young girls

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A 72-year-old paedophile banned from contact with children was jailed for 22 months on Thursday after he flashed at two young schoolgirls while out on licence.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Alloa pensioner Robert Watt was jailed for four years in 2004 for sexually abusing young girls and released on licence in 2007.

But Watt, who was barred from going anywhere near children, exposed himself on two separate occasions to 12-year-old girls in Alloa.

In court on Thursday, Judge Lord Turnbull told Watt, "It is true that for many years you lived a law-abiding and constructive life.

"Since approaching your 60s you have displayed inappropriate sexual conduct towards young girls.

"You remain unable to exercise adequate control over these impulses.

"You pose an ongoing danger to a particular group given the nature of your previous offending. This was a serious breach of trust imposed on you when you were released on licence - and you broke it twice."

As well as sending him back to jail, Lord Turnbull ordered Watt to be supervised in the community for 11 months after his release.

Banned

At an earlier court appearance prosecutor Laura Thomson explained that the terms of the licence were that he should not approach, speak or communicate in any way with any child under the age of 17 without the prior approval of his supervising officer.

But the court heard that Watt ignored the ban and exposed himself to young girls in Alloa.

Ms Thomson said, "The accused exposed himself to the girls and asked them, 'Do you like that.' They ran away and told their mothers.

"The second incident happened two months later when the accused approached another two young girls and told them, 'You look very pretty today.'

"Minutes later they saw him with his private parts over his trousers, staring at them and waving."

Watt was detained by police who were called by a passer-by after the girls alerted them to what he was up to.

He pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace by exposing himself to two girls, aged 12 and 13, at Drysdale Street, Alloa, on 3 June 2009; and to committing the same offence in front of two 12-year-old girls at Drysdale Street and Maple Court, Alloa, on 1 August 2009.

Defence counsel Gavin Anderson said, "Any offending of a sexual nature did not begin until 2002.

"He is at a loss to explain why having had such a blameless life such offences should occur in his mid-60s."

The court was told that Watt is considered to be at a high risk of re-offending.