Ban from leisure centres after shower exposure

A 60-YEAR-OLD man has been banned from attending leisure centres and going within 50 metres of any children’s playground after “targeting” two young boys in the showers.

Andrew David Sprott exposed himself to the boys as they washed before swearing at staff, and then catching the bus home.

Swansea Crown Court heard the defendant acknowledges that he has repressed “issues” that he needs to address.

John Hipkin QC, prosecuting, told the court the incident took place in a leisure centre in Swansea in June last year when Sprott followed his victims – boys aged 10 and 12 – into the showers and exposed himself to them.

The barrister said there was an element of “targeting” of the young boys.

He said: “They were followed into the showers, obviously vulnerable and alone.”

The incident was reported to the centre manager who challenged Sprott – the defendant’s behaviour then became “obstructive” and he told the manager to “f*** off” before walking away and catching his bus.

Sprott was subsequently identified by police and arrested on September 16.

The court heard the incident had caused the two young boys worry and stress.

Sprott, of Bryn-y-mor, Three Crosses, Gower, had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of exposure when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Andrew Evans, for Sprott, said it was evident from the pre-sentence reports into the defendant that he had “some very complex thought processes that need further investigation”.

He said it was to his client’s credit that he was prepared to work with probation and other agencies “to try to deal with issues he has tried to repress”.

Judge Catherine Richards told Sprott he had deliberately exposed himself to his young victims.

She said: “They should have been free to use those facilities without having a grown man prey on them.”

The judge noted that though the defendant did not have any relevant previous convictions he had been warned about his behaviour in the past to the extent that he had been banned from Swansea’s main city centre leisure centre in 2012.

She sentenced him to two months in prison, suspended for two years.

The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the next seven years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time which bans him from attending any leisure centre or swimming pool, and from going within 50 metres of any playground.