A PERVERT who exposed himself and made sexual gestures towards a terrified teenager in a ginnel has been given a community service order.

Hyndburn magistrates were told how lorry driver Shaun Ashton's 16-year-old victim, who was on her way to school on February 13 when the offence was committed, feared she might be raped as he ran after her in Accrington.

Ashton, of Filbury Close, Blackburn, who has a previous conviction for exposing himself to schoolgirls in the town, admitted indecent exposure.

He was given a community order with three years supervision and must attend the community sex offenders programme.

The defendant was put on the sex offenders register for five years, must do 40 hours unpaid work and pay £100 compensation and £150 costs.

Philippa White, prosecuting, told the court the 16-year-old had missed the bus and became aware of a car following her.

She went into a shop to see if the vehicle stayed in the area, came back out and went into a ginnel near Fairfield Road, Accrington.

About a quarter of the way up the alley she saw the car driver walking towards her, pulling his pants down to around his knees.

The man started to effectively run after her.

She was alarmed, turned and fled.

The victim was able to see that the man was gesturing towards her in a sexual manner.

Mrs White said the girl thought she might be raped or that the man would touch her or hurt her.

The victim eventually managed to get to school, alerted a teacher and gave the best description she could of the car, pointing out she had seen a builder's hard hat on the passenger seat.

The prosecutor told the court that after the incident the girl did not want to go out on her own.

Mrs White said that the victim's mother put credit on her mobile phone so she could always contact somebody when she was out if she became worried.

Mrs White said the defendant was arrested at home and taken to the police station on February 24 after the description of the vehicle and after part of the registration number had been passed on to officers.

When interviewed, Ashton claimed to police the only reason he had only gone into the alleyway was to urinate.

Ashton also had a conviction for two counts of indecent exposure from Belfast Magistrates Court in 1992, the court was told.

Bernard Horne, defending, said Ashton was fined for both of his previous two convictions.