Pensioner Brian Curtis from Blackfield handed suspended prison sentence at Southampton Crown Court for inciting children to expose themselves

TWO boys who asked for a selfie with a Forest pensioner were followed home and “flashed” by him, a court heard

Brian Curtis (87) of Hampton Lane, Blackfield, approached the youngsters, aged 11 and 13, last May as they were walking home from a nearby play park in the village.

Prosecutor Keeley Harvey told Southampton Crown Court the boys had jokingly asked to take a selfie with Curtis before he asked if he should follow them.

Ms Harvey told the court the boys became “panicked” when he did and they began to take another route.

After approaching them, he unzipped his trousers and exposed himself to them.

She added: “He said that now he had shown them his, they had to do the same.”

Despite the children making it clear they were “very young” and walking away, Curtis followed as they tried to get away.

The court heard the children approached a woman who said they appeared “shaken”, and told her a man had “flashed” them.

One said Curtis, who was not known to them, had also mentioned anal sex.

The woman called police and Curtis remained on the scene, telling her the boys had “tricked him” after they had approached him.

In interview, he admitted exposing himself and added: “I’ve never done anything like this [before]. The boys lied to me.”

Defending, Audrey Archer told the court Curtis maintained the children had approached him but “fully accepts he crossed boundaries that day”.

She added he understood his behaviour was “wholly inappropriate” and the court proceedings had “weighed heavily” on him.

Curtis had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of outraging public decency.

Imposing a 15-month prison term, suspended for two years, Judge Brian Forster KC told him: “I accept they may have been willing to engage in conversation, but you took matters further and exposed your penis.

“You then were inciting the children to expose theirs. Whatever occurred in the conversation, there can be no justification for what you did.

“Children are children; adults have their own responsibilities. Your behaviour was shocking and must not be repeated.”

Judge Forster said he had chosen to suspend the sentence due to Curtis’s previous good character and the fact there had been no offending in the past year since the incident.

Curtis must sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, participate in up to 45 rehabilitation activity days and pay court charges of £156.

He was handed an exclusion order which bans him from Dark Lane in Blackfield and the QEII recreation ground.

Judge Forster ordered a letter of commendation be sent to the member of public who helped the children in recognition for her “public spirited” behaviour and giving assistance in “an unexpected situation”.