A 63-year-old man sexually assaulted two girls under 16 after he offered one a can of beer in a park in East Lancashire.

Anthony Taylor, 63, was drinking cans of beer in Jubilee Gardens, Oswaldtwistle, on the afternoon of Sunday, September 4, 2022.

His first victim, who was 15 years old at the time, had been on a walk in the park when Taylor, of Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, offered her a sip of his beer.

Burnley Crown Court heard how when she declined, he then offered her a new can of beer, to which she accepted and sat on the bench next to him.

Prosecuting, Stephen Parker told the court mobile phone footage of Taylor and his victim showed him touching the victim's thigh with his left hand and face with his right hand, leaning into kiss her on the lips.

But when the victim turned her face away, Taylor kissed her on the cheek instead and said, "Do you have a boyfriend?", "Look at me" and "You are beautiful".

The court heard the victim saw a young male around 17 years old and asked for help, but he failed to provide any, causing her to run-off to strangers for assistance.

Mr Parker also told the court Taylor's second victim, who was 10 years old at the time, was doing TikTok dances with her friend in the park when the defendant approached them and said he "enjoyed watching them" and that they "looked good in the dances".

The court heard the victim said she felt "uncomfortable" about the way he was acting and what he said, so they left the park in hopes that he would leave.

When he was still there a while later, the victim ran to a couple who then rang the police, with Taylor later arrested at the scene.

The court heard that when Taylor was arrested, he was also found to have a small bag of cannabis on his person.

In mitigation, Rhia Abukhalil told the court that a month prior to the incident, Taylor had lost a son to suicide and began drinking heavily as a way of coping.

Miss Abukhalil also told the court Taylor lost another son to sepsis in 2018, and was still grieving from his death.

She said: "He is horrified by the footage and says it is completely out of character.

"I would like the court to consider that it took nearly 12 months for the defendant to be charged after he was arrested.

"He felt guilty and ashamed in that period and ever since, and wants to say sorry."

Taylor pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl under 16 years old, and sexually assaulting a girl under 13 years old.

Judge Sara Dodd sentenced Taylor to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 21 months.

He is also banned from Jubilee Gardens for 21 months, will have a curfew on leaving his address and has had a sexual harm prevention order imposed upon him.

She said: "Almost straight after you assaulted your first victim, you assaulted another, asking her to hold your hand and kiss you.

"I am struggling to understand how the tragic deaths of your sons resulted in this behaviour. I could understand aggression or angry outbursts but not this.

"But I have to take into account the length of time there has been since this offence, and I am satisfied that the community would be better off with you getting help from the Probation Service about your issues rather than an immediate custodial sentence."

This article previously stated Taylor had said 'I like them young' to one victim. As part of the basis of his plea it was accepted he did not say this, and the article has been amended to reflect this.