A LINGERIE company boss who indecently assaulted a woman during a massage she won for taking part in a survey has a fetish for elderly women, a court heard yesterday.

Dennis Watts visited women in their homes after he made phone calls to random numbers saying he was carrying out research for his internet company.

Two women in the Northallerton area of North Yorkshire agreed to take part, and allowed the 56-year-old into their homes, Teesside Crown Court was told.

One victim later told police that she had been inappropriately touched, while the other said Watts did not abuse her, but she felt the treatment was for his sexual gratification.

Watts admitted one charge of sexual assault between October and December 2007. A second charge will lie on file.

Matthew Bean, prosecuting, told Judge Peter Fox yesterday that the second alleged victim has died since she made her complaint about Watts to the police.

Watts, from Bradford, was due to be sentenced yesterday, but the hearing was adjourned because of a dispute between prosecutors and his defence team.

The argument centres on Watts’ intention at the time of making the telephone calls – whether he had planned to assault his victim or if it was an accident.

A hearing to resolve the dispute and determine the level of guilt was ordered by Judge Fox, who said it would make the difference between a jail sentence and freedom.

The prosecution said its claim that the assault was planned was supported by Watts visiting pornographic websites at the time featuring pictures of grandmothers.

Mr Bean told the judge: “The prosecution assert that this defendant has a general sexual interest in ladies of 50 and above, based on him searching websites.”

Andrew Semple, in mitigation, said Watts accepted viewing the online pictures, but said he was suffering from “a degree of stress” at the time because of a sexual problem.

Mr Semple said Watts, of Greenfield Crescent, Cullingworth, near Bradford, insisted he did not try to trick the women, but accepted he “went too far” when massaging one of them.

The court heard there is also a dispute over whether Watts was a qualified masseur after he told a probation officer he was, but told police he was not.

Judge Fox said: “If it is a case of a legitimate business, with consent to this free massage, which went too far, I am not minded to send him to prison.

“If, on the other hand, I am to sentence him on the basis that this was a ploy and from start to finish he was weedling his way into this lady’s house with a sexual intention, then inevitably it is a sentence of imprisonment.”