![The man was sentenced to time behind bars after he exposed himself near a golf course in Tamworth. Picture by Gareth Gardner, file
The man was sentenced to time behind bars after he exposed himself near a golf course in Tamworth. Picture by Gareth Gardner, file](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/150521478/4a9841ae-9ecb-4a64-96c2-6e1d2dfeffc9.jpg/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A MAN will spend time behind bars after he followed a young family near a golf course with his hand down his pants.
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The 55-year-old appeared from custody in Tamworth Local Court where he was sentenced for following two adults, and two young children, while touching his genitals near the Tamworth Golf Course.
Magistrate Roger Prowse told the court the offending, which he said included exposure and "grasping", made the victims fear for their own safety.
"It wasn't an accidental, or fleeting exposure," he said.
Court documents reveal the man removed his genitals from his pants, and started touching them, while walking towards the adults and kids at about 6pm on November 23, 2022.
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According to agreed facts, one of the adults turned around to check where the man was about 10 times while they were walking, and saw him touching himself each time.
After about 800 metres, one of the victims flagged down a police car and pointed out the man who was now laying on the ground.
When he was approached by officers, the 55-year-old told them he was having a rest, the facts state.
The man was arrested and charged with wilful and obscene exposure in or near a public place, to which he had previously pleaded guilty.
In court, the man's Aboriginal Legal Service defence solicitor said although the 55-year-old's criminal history did not assist him, there was a gap of offending on his record.
"He has demonstrated some period of time where he was a prosocial member of the community," she said.
The court heard the man had previous sexual related offences on his record, and was also charged with intentionally carrying out a sexual act with a child under the age of 10; and carrying out a sexual act without consent before both charges were dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
His defence solicitor said the man told her he "knew it was the wrong thing to do", and it was "stupid".
She said her client had struggled with a troubled upbringing, alcohol use, and health issues.
The defence solicitor offered up a "significant" supervision and treatment plan, and said her client would be suitable to serve a sentence in the community.
During the proceedings, the court heard the man was also facing one charge of contravening an apprehended violence order (AVO) for a separate matter.
Mr Prowse said the man had been drinking with the protected person, despite one of the conditions being that he could not be near them within 12 hours of consuming alcohol.
He said the man became aggressive, shattered a bottle near the victim, grabbed hold of the victim's neck, and squeezed his hands around her throat.
"You have little, if any regard, for court orders," Mr Prowse said.
For both offences the man was sentenced to a term of 20 months behind bars, with a non-parole period of 12 months.
The sentence was backdated to August 30, 2023, to account for time served.
He will first be eligible for parole in August 2024.
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