Sex pest banned from towpath

Order will protect users of popular route

A SEX pest who exposed himself and committed an indecent act on a canal towpath regularly used by children has been banned from the area.

Newbury magistrates imposed a restraining order on 28-year-old Grzegorz Dabros of Hopwood Close, Newbury, after hearing how women were now avoiding the area as a result of his actions.

At a previous hearing Helen Waite, prosecuting, said a woman had been walking her dog along the canal towpath in Newbury at the time of the incident.

She added: “Her route took her past the rear of the Tesco store and she noticed a man she didn’t know, who she later identified as the defendant, standing near a tree.

“He didn’t appear to be hiding or trying to be in any way discreet.”

The man was openly committing a sex act and Ms Waite said: “She and he made eye contact. He did not seem to be in the least bit concerned about having been seen.

“She continued to walk along while phoning the police about his behaviour.

“She watched as he went into the Tesco car park, got something from his car and went into the store.”

The woman took the opportunity to take his car details which she later passed to police, the court heard, concerned that the route was regularly used by schoolchildren.

At the sentencing hearing Ms Waite said: “She is no longer comfortable walking along the towpath.

“She has obviously discussed it with female work colleagues who also no longer use it for jogging or dog walking. I urge you to consider imposing a restraining order.”

Mr Dabros admitted one charge of indecently exposing himself on April 8.

Representing himself, he told magistrates: “I’m very sorry about what happened and I regret it.

“I’m embarrassed and I realise it was terrible for the woman.”

After reading pre-sentence reports, magistrates made Mr Dabros subject to a 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid community work requirement and 15 days’ rehabilitation activity requirement.

In addition he was ordered to pay £85 costs and to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.

Finally, magistrates said that they were making a restraining order “for the purpose of protecting the public”, which forbids Mr Dabros from being on the towpath for the next two years.