A motorist who was naked from the waist down stopped his car and asked five females, three of them children, for directions in Tywyn.

At the time he was indulging in an indecent act upon himself and was over the drink drive limit.

At Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, defendant Jeremy Mark Randon, 40, who had never been in any trouble before, admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and three charges of outraging public decency which all happened within about half an hour on October 3 at Tywyn.

He also admitted drink driving.

The defendant, born in South Africa, was said to have been drinking after watching South Africa play in the rugby world cup.

He was depressed and said to be at a low ebb after he lost his job and his accommodation – and his relationship was going through a rough patch.

Randon, of Heather Drive Stourbridge, was placed on the sex offender register for five years.

He was placed on a three year community order with 50 days rehabilitation and he was sent on a community sex offender group work programme.

The defendant was also fined £250 and banned from driving for a year – and ordered to pay £250 costs.

Judge Niclas Parry told Randon: “It is difficult to imagine what on earth came over you.”

He said that the aggravating features were obvious – it was repeat offending and it involved five victims, three of them 16 or under.

The offences were committed when it was dark, and the victims had been left shocked, fearful and feeling vulnerable.

“Your behaviour displayed an utter lack of respect or concern for the welfare of the females involved, purely for your own sexual gratification,” Judge Parry told him.

But there was considerable mitigation, he had pleaded guilty at an early opportunity, he had fully co-operated with the police from the outset, and the pre-sentence report made his remorse quite clear.

He had also considered an extremely measured letter written on behalf of his father.

That confirmed that since the offences he had found a new job and new accommodation.

The defendant, said the judge, was someone who accepted blame and would also accept assistance.

Prosecuting barrister Jonathan Austin told how the incidents happened close to the Skateboard Park in Tywyn, in the High Street and on the Tywyn to Bryncrug Road.

He asked for directions and she quickly realised that he was naked from the waist down and was engaging in an indecent act upon himself.

She was shocked and disgusted, moved away as quickly as she could and the police were informed.

A few minutes later a woman aged 24, who was with a 20-year-old female friend, rang the police and said that she was in the High Street when the same thing happened to them.

But he remained in the car, she went over to help him and immediately realised what he was doing. Both women were shocked.

A girl aged 16 rang the police to report a similar incident when he got out of the car asking for directions, again naked from the waist down.

The final victim was a girl aged 14 who had been very frightened and just started running when the same thing happened to her. The incident had really upset her and she now feared being alone.

At 10.30pm, police on the look-out for the defendant saw a Ford Focus badly parked in Brook Street and when approached ,the defendant was said to be fiddling with his trousers and his zip was open.

He provided a positive breath test and later provided an alcohol reading of 44 microgrammes compared to the legal limit of 35.

Interviewed, he said he was depressed after losing his job and was “not thinking straight”.

Ffion Tomos, defending, said that her client wished to apologise to the court and to the victims for his “appalling behaviour”.