A 37-YEAR-OLD man started watching pornography on his phone after parking outside his 'in-laws'.

Blackburn magistrates heard a member of the man's girlfriend's family was horrified when they looked out the window and saw Trevor Alan Hollins pleasuring himself, while a three year old girl was sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

The court was told the relative took photographs, which he showed to his sister, the defendant's girlfriend, before they were passed to the police.

Hollins, of Berry Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to committing an act outraging public decency.

He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 25 days rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the witness was in an upstairs room when he looked out and saw the defendant in his van masturbating.

"He banged on the window which caused the defendant to stop and put himself away," said Miss Allan. "When his girlfriend was shown the pictures taken by her brother she was very upset."

Daniel Fraser, defending, said his client had been parked outside the house waiting for his girlfriend to come home.

"He was looking through his phone when something popped up, he clicked it and you have heard what then happened," said Mr Fraser."The child was asleep as far as he was concerned.

"He says that when she woke up he stopped what he was doing.

"What he was doing had nothing to do with the child being present, that was just an unfortunate aspect of the incident."