A YOUNG pervert tried to entice females by flashing at them, a court was told yesterday.

Gillan Ross, 23, of Dunstanburgh Close, Washington, Wearside, shocked ten women in his home town by exposing himself to them in the street.

Ross was first spotted in October last year and carried on offending until April 2 this year, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

One woman victim said in a statement: "I was not upset, but I was concerned because there is a children's play area nearby."

Another said she was afraid that Ross knew where she lived.

Bridie Smirthwaite, mitigating, said: "She became conscious of leaving her front door open when she came home from work."

Ross usually confronted lone females, but on one occasion he approached a mother out walking with her two children.

Judge Guy Whitburn said: "These were attempts to attract and entice towards himself any female. The circumstances of each incident were very similar. On each occasion a lone female was targeted by the defendant."

Ross pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual offences. Seven similar offences were taken into consideration.

He was given a three-year community rehabilitation order and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.