A JUDGE has expressed frustration at the sentencing options available to him after hearing how a man went from town to town committing indecent acts in front of children.

Keith Whitworth was arrested after the fifth in a series of incidents that took place over a six-week period around the summer holiday period.

Judge Michael Taylor said he believed the defendant had deliberately targeted areas where he knew young people would be and carried out the offences in a calculated manner in towns across the region.

Sentencing Whitworth to three years' supervision, the judge expressed his frustration at not being able to pass a custodial sentence that would enable him to enforce a suitable treatment programme.

He said: "I take a very serious view of the fact that these offences were over a number of weeks and you went from town to town where you targeted areas where there was young children present."

He added: "If I was able to impose a prison sentence and ensure that you could get suitable treatment in prison, that would be appropriate and that is what the public would want me to do. However, the two custodial sentences I have available to me do not enable me to do that."

Today, the wheelchair-bound offender came face to face with the parents of two of the children who witnessed him performing a sex act near to their home.

Speaking outside Teesside Magistrates Court, which sat a Crown Court for sentencing purposes, the couple said they were disappointed at the sentence, but wanted to draw a line underneath the horrendous experience.

The father said: "We are disappointed that he wasn't sent to prison, but we realise that it is better that he gets treatment so that he won't do this again to any other young children.

"As far as we are concerned he is a danger to the public, but we have to put this behind us now and help our children get over the trauma that they experienced. He has ruined so many lives with his despicable behaviour.

"I'm pleased his parents were in court to hear exactly what their son has done."

Earlier, the court heard how the 37-year-old had struck in Catterick Village and Bedale, in North Yorkshire, and in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe.

The last incident happened in Darlington on August 15 and involved a 12-year-old girl who had also seen Whitworth expose himself weeks earlier in the town centre.

CCTV captured a full licence plate and Whitworth, of Burneston, near Bedale, was arrested.

He confessed to another exposure offence in Newton Aycliffe in January, and has since admitted his activities have been going on for three years.

Whitworth admitted two charges of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and four of exposure.

In mitigation, barrister Tom Mitchell said his client was horrified by his actions.

On top of the supervision order, Whitworth, who spent two months on remand, was put on the sex offenders register and subjected to a six-month curfew between 9.30pm and 7.30am each day.