A CROSSGATES pensioner who exposed himself to a six-year-old girl in the 1970s has been placed on a community payback order with six months' supervision.

David Innes, 79, has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for the same amount of time for a series of historic sexual offences.

This includes twice exposing himself to two women at social gatherings.

Innes, of Westfield Grove, previously admitted three offences.

Between January 1, 1975, and December 31, 1981, at his then home in Main Street, Saline, he used lewd, indecent, libidinous practices and behaviour towards a girl then aged between six and 12 by exposing his erect penis and masturbated in her presence.

Also, between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 1989, at an address in Dunfermline, he committed an act of public indecency by exposing his erect penis to a woman.

He further admitted that between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1989, at Main Street, Saline, he exposed his erect penis to another woman.

In a previous court appearance at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said the first victim was so young at the time she was not aware of what Innes was doing.

It was only was she got older that she realised what had happened.

The second charge arose out of an occasion when a couple, who knew Innes and his wife, bumped into them in Dunfermline.

The couple invited Innes and his wife back to their home for a coffee.

At the house, Innes sat opposite the woman with his legs open and was staring at her.

She realised he had a hole in his works trousers and she could see his erect penis but the others in the room couldn’t see this because of the angle he was sitting.

When the visitors left, the woman told her husband immediately what had happened.

The third offence took place at a social gathering at Innes’ home. On this occasion, Innes was sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. He got the attention of a woman there and then lifted the newspaper, revealing his penis, which he had taken out of his trousers.

There were others in the room but he made sure they could not see what was happening.

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said: "It is Mr Innes' position that he has no recollection of these matters.

"But he does not see any reason for why the couple lied about what took place."

When Innes was taken into custody in May for questioning, an interview commenced but police were unable to demonstrate that the accused understood the caution he was being given and it was suspended, Mr Flett explained.

He was examined by a community nurse who advised he be interviewed for 20 minutes at a time.

However, officers abandoned the interview.

"He has never been in trouble before," Mr Flett added. "The invitation is that the court would deal with these matters by supervision."