SEX OFFENDER JAILED FOR FOUR YEARS
A SEX offender deliberately went to a lane he knew was used by pupils on their way to school and exposed himself to two young girls, a court has heard.
Tyrone Wayne Harding then asked his 12-year-old victims if they wanted to engage in a sex act.
Harding has a history of exposing himself to people in parks in Swansea, and last year was caught pleasuring himself in the street near a school.
A judge said it was clear the 39-year-old cannot control his sexual urges towards children.
Swansea Crown Court heard that on the morning of October 18 this year Harding went to a park in the city – something he was banned from doing – before heading for a school.
In a lane near the school the defendant waited for two young girls to approach him and then took his penis out of his jogging bottoms, and made a lewd suggestion to the youngsters.
Robin Rouch, prosecuting, said one of the girls grabbed her friend by the hand and they ran off together.
When they got to school the pair told teachers what had happened, and police were alerted – a description of the offender was given to officers and CCTV of the surrounding streets checked.
The court heard that though the incident itself was not caught on camera, officers were able to identify a suspect.
On October 21 Harding was arrested – after being cautioned, he said: “I just want to go back to jail.”
In his subsequent interview Harding told officers he had specifically gone to the area in question that day because he knew there was a school nearby.
The court heard details of a victim impact statement from one of the girls in which she said the experience had left her feeling upset and shocked, and worried he might do similar things to others.
The court also heard a statement from a teacher of one of the girls in which he said she “seems to have lost some of her innocence” as a result of the incident.
Harding, of Jeffrey’s Court, Penlan, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to exposure, breaching a sexual harm prevention order – by entering a park – and two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
The court heard Harding has previous convictions for exposure in Cwmdonkin and Singleton parks, as well as on Clarendon Road in Sketty, and last year was caught pleasuring himself near Bishop Gore school.
Hywel Davies, for Harding, said his client was under no illusion about the seriousness of what he had done, and felt “disgusted” by his own actions. He said the defendant wanted to be sent to prison for a length of time sufficient to allow him to access sex offender treatment.
The barrister added: “This is an individual who accepts he has a problem, and wants help.”
Judge Paul Thomas said it was clear Harding was unable to control his sexual urges towards children – and that the only way he could be stopped from offending was to be sent to prison for as long as the guidelines allowed.
For each of the inciting charges Harding was sentenced to four years in prison, for exposure to 12 months, and for breaching a sexual harm prevention order to 30 months.
All the prison sentences will run concurrently, making a total of four years.
He was also made the subject of a life-long sexual harm prevention order which bans him from entering any public park in Swansea, and bans him from going within 100 metres of a school.
He will also be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.