A SEX pest groped four teenage girls in Blackburn town centre.

Blackburn magistrates heard when a male friend tried to help the girls ex-boxer James Lee got him in a head-lock.

And the court was told Lee was already on bail for sexual assault on a 48-year-old woman as she walked through the town centre at lunch time.

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Lee, 49, of Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to five charges of sexual assault and one of assault.

He was sent in custody to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced after the magistrates ruled their powers of punishment were insufficient. He was made subject to an interim sexual offender notification requirement.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the first incident involved a 48-year-old woman who was walking along King William Street at 12.15pm when her attention was drawn to a man who was stumbling, hunched over and with a fixed glazed look.

“She formed the immediate impression he was drunk, under the influence of drugs or had mental health problems,” said Miss Allan.

“As she walked past him he slapped her full on the backside. She said it was a purposeful act.”

Lee was arrested and bailed by police but two weeks later became involved with the teenage girls who were ‘chilling’ near the statue of Queen Victoria in the Cathedral Quarter at about 2pm.

Lee, who was extremely drunk, was asking all the girls if they had boyfriends and making sexually explicit comments.

The prosecutor said when the boys who were with them tried to protect the girls he got one in a head lock.

Miss Allan said Lee pushed one of the girls towards the statue and she heard him say he was going to rape her. He got hold of a 19-year-old girl and tried to kiss her and slapped her and an 18-year-old girl on the backside.

Miss Allan said one of the victims was 17 and Lee had put his hands on her upper thigh while making sexual comments.

A 19-year-old girl told police she was so scared when Lee got hold of her that she couldn’t speak to tell him to get off. Miss Allan said Lee had 134 previous convictions for 262 offences including one for a previous sexual assault.

“There will ultimately be an application for a criminal anti-social behaviour order to address his behaviour in the town centre,” said Miss Allan. “These were all teenage girls and one of them, the 17-year-old, was particularly vulnerable.”

Gareth Price, defending, said his client realised the second set of offences had clearly passed the custodial threshold.

“His alcohol problems and his mental health problems make it very difficult for him to comply with court orders,” said Mr Price. “The offences amounted to a series of hugs and kisses which he saw as friendly banter, horse play. His difficulties make it hard for him to know what the boundaries are.”