A MAN who was seen performing a sex act in his bathroom window by parents picking up their children from a primary school has avoided jail.

Shaun Hambleton was spotted standing on a windowsill, pressed against frosted glass at a house in Entwistle Street, Tonge Moor, on July 18 last year.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard that the 26-year-old had his head out of the window and was “focussing” on two girls, aged between 10 and 11, who were playing in a nearby garden.

Joanne Cronshaw, prosecuting, said that he was seen in the window by parents at about 3.15pm, who were waiting to pick their children up from the nearby Moorgate Primary School.

She said: “One of the witnesses then got out of his car and shouted at the defendant — who jumped off the ledge.

“He then banged on the door but got no response.”

The school's headteacher and police were informed and Hambleton, now of Bishopbridge Close, Great Lever was arrested.

In a police interview he claimed he had been naked because he was about to shower and was on the ledge while he tried to fix his razor.

He was due to stand trial for indecent exposure on January 22 but changed his plea to guilty on the day of the hearing.

His defence solicitor Adam Whittaker said he should have immediately admitted to performing the sex act in the window — adding that his client claimed he was unaware of the young girls playing nearby.

He said: “He was doing this within the confines of his bathroom and he maintains he wasn’t looking at the girls in the garden — he has no fascination with young children.”

Mr Whittaker added that his client “hadn’t done himself any favours” by not owning up to the act at the first opportunity.

Ms Cronshaw read out several victim impact statements from parents who had witnessed Hambleton’s actions.

She said one of the victims described being “angry and disgusted” by what they saw — while another said they can no longer walk past the address without thinking about the event.

Magistrates handed Hambleton a community order with three years supervision and attendance at a sex offenders treatment programme.

He was also given an eight week curfew between the hours of 9pm and 6am and ordered to pay £240 in costs and a £60 victim surcharge.