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An ex-Royal Navy sailor has been jailed after exposing himself to three young girls as they shopped for shoes in a busy mall.

Paisley pervert Stephen Kay, 46, targeted the children as they browsed in New Look at intu Braehead.

He pounced on the girls just three weeks after a similar sickening exposure, when he pulled his swimming trunks to the side in front of two other youngsters at a Linwood sports centre.

(Image: PDE)

The creep, who claimed he flashed at kids because he was too frightened to target women, was jailed for seven months yesterday at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Prosecutor Ian Meacock told how Kay had first struck at the Linwood’s On-X baths.

He said: “Two witnesses, aged eight and 11 at the time, attended at the swimming pool and were left there by their parents.

“The girls were swimming in the pool in a part called the lazy river.

“They observed the accused standing with his back leaning against a nearby wall.

“When they swam underneath the area where the accused was standing, they observed that his swimming trunks had been pulled down to one side, thereby exposing himself.

(Image: Paisley Daily Express)

“The witnesses left that area and went to the main part of the pool where there was a lifeguard.

“They alerted the lifeguard, who fetched the manager.

“The accused wasn’t to be found when the manager checked.

“The CCTV was downloaded and a description of the person obtained and circulated with the police.”

Kay spent 23 years in the Navy before starting his own plumbing firm.

He has previous convictions for sexual offences and has since been banned from working with children.

The court heard he was eventually traced after his traumatised victims told shop bosses what happened at New Look.

Mr Meacock added: “Three girls, all aged 12, were in the store when they became aware of an adult male.

“One of the witnesses looked across and noticed that the accused had pulled down the front of his trousers so that he was exposed.

“One of the witnesses said to the others and they all looked and saw it – they were about 12 to 14 feet away.

“His hands were by his side during the incident and he walked away without pulling up his trousers towards the exit.

“A female member of staff came to the girls just to offer assistance for general matters in the shop and they divulged what they had seen.

“She alerted store security.

“CCTV footage identified the car in which the accused had driven to Braehead.”

Kay – who runs PGS Scotland – claims he has no sexual interest in children, but singled them out at the On-X on July 25, before striking again on August 13.

Defence lawyer Michelle Skelly told how the pervert singles out children because he worries women would laugh at him and says his family are standing by him.

She said: “He is not attracted to young children, but appears to make a conscious decision to select them to try and get the reaction that he feels he needs at that time.

“He would much rather expose himself to adult females, but has fears about the reaction he would gain if that was the case.

“He is afraid he would be laughed at or pointed at.

“It’s the shock that gives him the thrill.”

Sheriff David Pender slammed the fiend and told him he picked on youngsters because they are less likely to fight back.

He added: “I am dealing with two offences here which appear to be directly related to three previous convictions which are of the a similar nature.

“These are offences in which you targeted young girls.”

Kay, of Woodside Crescent, Paisley, showed no emotion as he was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and was jailed for seven months.

He will also be reported to Scottish Ministers and Disclosure Scotland and banned from ever working with those under the age of 18.