Psychiatric report ordered on sex offender

Gary Mawson, of Woolcombe Court, Heaton, Bradford, was arrested last month on suspicion of sexual exposure on a train between Menston and Ilkley back in January.

Mawson was detained following a joint investigation by Airedale and North Bradford CID and British Transport Police.

At a hearing before Bingley Magistrates a few days after his arrest Mawson admitted a series of sex offences relating to incidents involving teenage girls in Burley-in-Wharfedale between November last year and this January.

Mawson appeared in custody before Judge Scott Wolstenholme at Bradford Crown Court yesterday for his sentence hearing, but the judge agreed to a defence application for the case to be adjourned so that an up-to-date psychiatric report could be prepared on him.

During an earlier hearing before the magistrates Mawson admitted exposing himself to teenage girls and sexually touching a 14-year-old.

On one occasion Mawson was wearing a mask when he emerged from a bush in Burley-in-Wharfedale to expose himself to two teenage girls.

He pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals on four occasions in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

He also admitted intentionally touching a 14-year-old girl and assaulting a girl by beating in the village on January 9.

The magistrates heard that offences were committed at Burley-in-Wharfedale train station and in a communal garden.

Mawson was later identified on closed-circuit television and he told police he found his behaviour addictive.

Judge Wolstenholme adjourned his case until April 29 and remanded Mawson back into custody.