A man who walked through a Norfolk village wearing only a beanie hat and shoes did so as a ‘cry for help’ because he felt lonely in the rural community, a court has been told.
William Hall, 39, was arrested after walking down the street in Dickleburgh naked with his genitals on show on January 6 this year.
He appeared before Norwich Magistrates Court to be sentenced having pleaded guilty to a charge of outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner.
He also admitted sending a text message that included a picture of his penis to a woman in the village, near Diss.
The court was told Hall, of Brandreth Close in Dickleburgh, also remains under investigation for similar alleged offences after being arrested on May 15.
He is due to learn whether he will face further charges of sending indecent images, malicious communications, making unwanted calls and public nudity on August 9.
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He had been deemed to be at low risk of serious offending that could cause significant harm to others, the court heard.
But giving evidence a representative of Norfolk Probation Service said he deemed him as high risk with a “clear escalation in seriousness” and a pattern of similar behaviour “especially towards women including sending explicit images”.
It was “difficult to assess” if his motivation is sexual, he added.
His actions could be seen as “cry for help” because he suffers complex difficulties that require mental health and social support and he felt “cut off and lonely” in the south Norfolk village.
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Lucy Brakewell, mitigating, said: “He is in an isolated village where there is some animosity towards him due to his offending.”
He had failed to attend pre-sentence report probation appointments because he “lacks understanding of the court process rather than a deliberate two-fingers to the court”, she added.
District Judge Emily Evans was told efforts were being made to move Hall to supported housing away from Dickleburgh.
She deferred sentence for three months telling him he must comply with mental health and social support teams.
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