Sex offender caught filming himself half-naked with selfie stick, and performing lewd act at South Shields seafront

Bret Scott, 27, used a selfie stick to hold his mobile phone during his bizarre dead-of-night stroll along the promenade on Thursday, August 19.

Scott, of Vine Street, Tyne Dock, South Shields, then walked to his car where he was caught on CCTV performing a sex act.

But his blatant offending did not stop there, prosecutor Lesley Burgess told magistrates in South Tyneside.

When quizzed at the scene by police, he denied having any electronic device – but a search revealed two mobiles in his car.

His false statement put him in breach of the terms of the sex offender’s register.

He was placed on the register in July 2016 at Newcastle Crown Court after being caught with downloaded child abuse images.

For the same offence, he was also jailed for six months, a sentence suspended for two years.

Ms Burgess said: “In the early hours on civic centre cameras, he was seen at the beach, walking along the promenade.

“He was naked from the waist down and had a selfie stick from his mobile. The mobile was illuminated.”

The solicitor said he then went to his car and was seen on CCTV performing a sex act at his car.

“Police ask him if he has a mobile phone with him, which he denies, but two mobile phones are found,” she said.

“He must give up his mobile phone to police when asked, but the police had to search his car.”

Scott also breached a second sex offence order, also imposed by the crown court, by failing to inform police of his whereabouts, it was said.

As part of a sexual harm prevention order, he is not allowed to stay away from home for more than seven nights a year without telling officers.

But he failed to let them know he stayed regularly at his sister’s home, an offence which came to light on the same day as his beach crimes.

Scott pleaded guilty to exposure, breaching a sexual harm prevention order and breaching the notification requirement of the sex offenders’ register.

David Forrester, defending, said the Probation Service had delivered a positive report on Scott to the court.

He added: “He is self-loathing and has an unwillingness to look himself in the face.

“People with this predilection are at risk of causing these offences.

“On these matters, he says that he is ashamed. He is embarrassed to be before the court.

“Nobody else has been impacted by his behaviour. His life has collapsed, he has difficulties, he is lonely

“He had taken some amphetamine, which means he had lost his inhibitions. He has taken amphetamine and acted in an unusual way.

“There is a difference between someone who is doing this during the day or in front of people.”

Magistrates handed Scott a 24-month community order, with a requirement of 60 hours of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

He must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

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