STROUD man Peanut sexually assaulted an 18-year-old girl and exposed himself to a group of children while wearing a skirt, a court heard.

Peanut, 51, who has legally changed his name from Trevor Cooper, admitted sexually assaulting the girl and an act of outraging public decency when he appeared at Stroud Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The court heard how Peanut exposed himself to five children between the age of eight and 18 outside his home in Mathews Way, Stroud between 4pm and 8pm on Wednesday, July 10.

Graham Dono, prosecuting, said: "Peanut, who was wearing a skirt, approached the children in Mathews Way and asked a 17-year-old boy if he could touch his genitals.

"He then lifted up the skirt and hitched his leg up onto the wall next to where the five children were sitting and showed his own genitalia to the group.

"The older children told him his behaviour was inappropriate but he kept flashing the group and then invited them back to his flat."

Peanut also made an obscene remark to a 10-year-old girl about glitter in her hair.

He then sat down next to an 18-year-old girl and made a further remark of a sexual nature before touching her inappropriately.

The court heard how he made another sexual remark before lifting his skirt up again to expose himself.

"The defendant was too drunk to remember what had happened when questioned by police but said if what they were saying happened then he was disgusted with himself," said Mr Dono.

District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai gave him credit for an early guilty plea and also for his remorse.

"I am going to make an order where you can be worked with to stop similar offending," she said.

He was given a 12-month community order and a sexual prevention order was also imposed banning him from unsupervised contact with a child under 16 including his own grandchildren for five years.

He must also register with his local police station and keep them notified of any travel arrangements plus his address for the next five years.