A teenager who made sexual advances to three schoolboys has won his freedom.

Peter Gudgeon, 19, followed one boy, asked him if he wanted to see his genitals and then tried to expose himself.

The child fled home, burst into tears and told his mother.

The defendant, said to be vulnerable and to have learning problems, was bailed and then struck again six months later, exposing himself to two boys in a park in Accrington.

He had no previous convictions, but had a reprimand for sexually assaulting a teenage boy when he was 15, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Gudgeon had been locked up since August and had served the equivalent of a six-month sentence on remand.

The mother of the first boy had urged that the defendant be assisted so that others would be protected.

Gudgeon admitted six allegations of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, in February and August.

He was given a three-year community order, with three years high-level supervision and was put on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

The defendant also received a five-year sex offences prevention order.

Judge Simon Newell said the offences were mean, nasty and unpleasant and there was a clear worry it might happen again.

He said if he sent the defendant to detention, he could only do so for a few more months and there would be no remedial treatment or counselling.

The judge said: "The alternative is a community sentence, where there can be intensive counselling and monitoring so something may be done to stop this happening again."

The court was told the defendant was given a reprimand in November 2006, after lifting up a teenager’s shirt and trying to grab his genitals through his trousers.

Katherine Pierpoint, for Gudgeon, said: "He clearly appreciates that what he did in February and August was wrong and he has to punished for that.

"That has perhaps been brought home very much to him by the fact he has been in custody since the end of August. It has not been an easy time for him."

The defendant was sorry and whilst he had low intellectual functioning and was vulnerable, he knew he shouldn't have done what he did.

Miss Pierpoint, who said there was no sexual touching of the boys, told the hearing Gudgeon needed help.

The barrister added the defendant had attended special schools and then done odd jobs. He had been particularly isolated and had not mixed with people his own age.


* THE Accrington mum of one of the young victims said the time Gudgeon had spent in jail was ‘not enough’.

The woman, who must remain anonymous for legal reasons, said: "I really don’t think he has any respect for the law whatsoever. I’d like to see him go to jail and then get help from the community.

"It was hard, to explain to my son that he wasn't still in jail. Now he knows he’s out there, there's no chance of getting him out of the house. I don’t know what to do with him next. I think the public need to be aware that this guy is on a very strict supervision order."