Elderly victim scared to leave home after Blackburn man exposed himself to her (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Elderly victim scared to leave home after Blackburn man exposed himself to her

9:49am Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Vanessa Cornall, Crime reporter

A 79-year-old woman was left so traumatised that she was scared to leave her home after a man indecently exposed himself to her.

Blackburn magistrates heard Kevin Forrest, 49, had appeared to be a ‘Good Samaritan’ as he helped the pensioner carry her shopping bags to the front door of her flat.

But as she turned to thank him Forrest, who is a registered sex offender, had his trousers down round his knee exposing his genitals.

“This lady was terrified by that” said Catherine Allan, prosecuting. “She was shocked and wanted to get into her flat as soon as possible.

She was frightened he might push her into the flat and even rape her.”

Miss Allan said the victim was so traumatised she is now frightened to leave her home.

“He knows where she lives and she is terrified he will sexually assault her,” said Miss Allan.

She said police had now assessed Forrest as a high risk sex offender following the latest incident.

In June 2011 he was convicted of voyeurism after he tried to film a lady using a pub toilet.

“The police are very concerned about this escalation in his behaviour,” said Miss Allan.

Forrest, 49, of Heaton Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure. He was committed in custody to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced after the magistrates ruled their powers of punishment were insufficient.

Gareth Price, defending, said when the victim returned to her block of flats Forrest had been sitting in the lobby and she asked him to help with her bags.

“At that point there was no intention of doing anything else and he was simply being a Good Samaritan,” said Mr Price. “He can’t explain what happened next but it wasn’t something he had planned. He accepts it was a shocking and upsetting incident for the lady concerned.”