A YOUNG man with a history of exposure stripped naked on a footpath in the middle of the afternoon for ‘an adrenaline rush’.
Ross Offen, of Twickenham Close, Greenbridge, said he had stopped, just over half-a-mile from his home, to go to the toilet behind a tree in a green area opposite houses when he decided to take off all his clothes.
But a woman on her way to the gym saw the 23-year-old in the nude as she walked along The Drive, in Nythe.
Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the woman saw the naked man on November 2.
“She was walking towards Dorcan Way, close to Lythcett Drive, at about 4.30pm when she passed a footpath, which she frequently uses,” she said.
“As she looked through there she saw a male who was completely naked, except for a pair of trainers.
“He appeared to have trousers in his hand and the rest of his clothing on the floor next to him. She said she was scared by what she saw.”
Offen was arrested and told police he had been driving home and realised he needed the toilet. He pleaded guilty to one count of outraging public decency. He had been charged with two offences of exposure, but pleaded not guilty to both at a hearing earlier this month. The court was told he received a formal caution from the police for exposure in November 2009 after admitting committing the offence two months earlier.
Judith McCullough, defending, said her client pleaded to the latest charge on a certain basis, pointing out the victim did not see his genitals.
She said: “It is the defendant’s case that this was not sexually motivated and not designed to shock anyone.
“The defendant now acknowledges the fact he could be seen and people could be upset by that. He accepts he behaved in an unacceptable manner that day.”
Offen was given a 16-week jail term suspended for a year and told to do 120 hours of community service and be under supervision of the probation service.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article