A ‘GOOD Samaritan’ who indecently exposed himself to an elderly pensioner has been jailed for four months.

Kevin Forrest, 49, offered to help carry his 79-year-old victim’s 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 himself.

“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, of Heaton Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure. He was jailed for four months, given a five year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.

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.”

DC Tim Aspinall, who led the investigation, said: “This was a particularly worrying offence committed against a 79-year-old woman returning from a shopping trip.

“Forrest followed her into the foyer of her secure accommodation block and initially portrayed himself as a good Samaritan helping her with her shopping into the communal lift, he has stayed with her until she reached her door and on turning to thank him he has exposed himself to her. “Luckily, she has had the foresight to get in her flat and contact the police with a very good initial description leading to his arrest the following day.”