A 15-YEAR-OLD stalker who carried out a series of sex acts after preying on lone females in Burnley town centre has been detained for four months.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, struck four times in one week but was traced after being caught on CCTV and through his DNA profile.

The youth, who is from Burnley, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three charges of indecent exposure and one of indecent assault. He was given a four-month detention and training order by magistrates at Burnley Youth Court.

He was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs by security officers after the sentence was delivered, as his mother left the hearing in tears.

Elliott Taylforth, prosecuting, told the court the youngster had stalked potential victims in Burnley town centre before pouncing and committing the sex acts.

He said: "The first incident happened at about 8.30pm on Saturday, January 3 when a young lady who works in Asda was on her way home.

"She was walking through the town centre and the defendant was loitering near Market Square.

"He ran past the aggrieved and exposed his private parts and started to perform a sex act. She shouted at him to get away and he ran off." The youth later struck twice on the same night first when he indecently assaulted a 34-year-old woman as she walked through Market Square on January 5.

Ten minutes after the offence he stood in the doorway of a Burnley tanning centre and performed a sex act before running off.

Three days later, he went back to the same shop and performed another sex act.

He was arrested by police on January 21 after detectives mapped the youngster's DNA and spotted him from CCTV on all four occasions.

Mark Irlam, defending, said: "These are serious offences and it is clear the defendant needs some help.

"He does not need punishment, he needs guidance to stop these offences being committed in the future.

"No one knows why these offences were committed because he has never given an explanation, but perhaps his sexual frustration came out the wrong way in a public environment."

The magistrates imposed a four-month detention and training order for the indecent assault, which may allow access to psychological help for the youth.

He will be released in two months and serve a further two months on licence. Magistrates imposed no separate penalty for the indecent exposures.