The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A pensioner who exposed himself in front of three schoolgirls has been jailed for 19 months.
George Booth (78) was caught after one of the girls tried to take his photograph and reported where he lived in Roman Bank, Long Sutton.
On Thursday (January 7) Lincoln Crown Court heard the girls had noticed Booth standing outside his home as they walked to school on June 3 and 4 last year.
Esther Harrison, prosecuting, said the girls were again walking home from school on June 5 when they noticed Booth had got out of his car and was exposing himself while wearing shorts.
“All three girls saw it,” Miss Harrison told the court. “He was clearly watching them.”
Miss Harrison said one of the girls asked Booth to put his penis away but he replied: “Does it make you horny?”
Booth got back in to his vehicle and covered his face when the girl tried to take his photograph.
He was arrested but told police in interview that he had “memory problems”.
The court heard Booth was granted bail but exposed himself again six weeks later in front of a group of children who were playing in a park near his home.
Ian Way, mitigating, told the court Booth had no history of offending until he was 74. He received a suspended prison sentence in April 2014 for similar offences.
Mr Way said Booth had already spent six months in custody.
“His health has deteriorated significantly since his time in prison,” Mr Way added.
“He is 78 and has had three cancer diagnoses in the last decade.
“He is now in a wheelchair and says his knees are playing up.”
Booth pleaded guilty to four charges of exposure in June and July 2015.
Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hurst told Booth he had history for such offending.
