SERIAL STALKER PLEADS GUILTY

A SERIAL stalker of women, including some on the Surf Coast, used sexually explicit letters and phone calls because he thought the women were bored in their jobs and it would “tantalise” them, a court has been told.

Ian Talbot, 69, of Essendon, pleaded guilty yesterday to 10 counts of stalking between 2005 and 2018.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard Talbot typically wrote letters to his nine victims, aged 20 to 71, which were of explicit nature. He would then follow up with explicit phone calls.

In all, he wrote 22 letters and made eight calls to women who variously worked in clothes shops, a post office, beauty salon and newspaper.

In a call to an employee at a Torquay salon, he asked if she wanted to see his penis.

Prosecutor Karen Molloy said the victims felt fearful, anxious and paranoid that the accused was watching them.

Ms Molloy asked Magistrate Duncan Reynolds to view the letters to understand how “severe” they were.

The court heard Talbot, who made the calls from public pay phones, made full admissions and expressed remorse for his behaviour.

He told investigators that, after retiring he became bored and began viewing pornography. He believed the victims were bored in their jobs and his letters would “tantalise them and make them excited”, the court was told.

Talbot’s lawyer said he had apologised for his behaviour and was seeking counselling.

“My client’s been a stupid old man, but he’s not been an evil monster that deserves to go to jail,” he said.

The defence asked that the matter be dealt by way of a fine, but Mr Reynolds refused the request. He ordered Talbot be assessed for a community correction order and return to court next week for sentencing.