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Two men appeared before Stirling Sheriff Court this week on separate charges of exposing themselves.

Neil Cox and James Dick pleaded guilty to offences in which they undressed in front of startled females.

Cox, 27, disrobed in Stirling University library for a dare - but was arrested after an alarmed woman spotted him in the buff.

Dick, 45, got out of his car and flashed a female dog walker in Polmaise Road. Both were convicted at the city's sheriff court for daring to bare in front of strangers, but escaped being placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Bristol-based actuary Neil Peter Cox admitted public indecency after the court heard on Monday how he filmed himself sitting naked on a chair with his legs wide open, wearing a scarf over his face.

He was fined £600 by Sheriff Christopher Shead.A woman who saw him in his birthday suit contacted campus security, who then found Cox standing naked by a bookshelf, trying to take a picture of himself.

The court heard that Cox had no connections with the university - but had decided to stop by there on his way home from a walking trip in the Cairngorms.

His intention was to complete a dare he had with a woman friend, in which they each had to film themselves posing naked in a library for the duration of a song.

Cox had previously denied a charge of indecent exposure, which would have seen him placed on the Sex Offenders Register. The court heard that the Crown was willing to accept a guilty plea to a lesser charge of public indecency, after defence solicitor Steven Maguire said there had been no sexual motive.

Fiscal depute Adrian Fraser said the incident happened on the evening of January 24, when the female witness had gone to the library at 7pm and taken a seat in front of a computer on level three of the building. She became aware of Cox walking by at 8pm. Half an hour later, she got up from her seat to get a drink when she heard a noise from the window blinds behind her. She saw the accused sitting upright in a chair, completely naked with his legs apart, and wearing what appeared to be a black balaclava over his face.

Mr Fraser said: “Security were called and they attended, to find the accused standing naked amongst some bookshelves. He appeared to be selecting books and had a blue camera in his hand.“When he saw security he ran over to a pile of clothing and began putting them on.”Police seized Cox’s belongings, which included a memory card containing footage of him in the nude. He told officers it was proof of a dare he had with a friend in London, and he’d had no intention of showing it to anyone else.

Defence solicitor Steven Maguire told the court the situation was “bizarre in the extreme” and added: “He does regret that the witness was caught up in all of this. He wasn’t thinking about that. Maybe he should have.”

On Wednesday James Dick, 45, pleaded guilty to exposing himself to a female dogwalker on May 25 in Polmaise Road.

Fiscal depute Emma Jeffrey told the court that the woman had been aware of a green Ford Focus passing her in the same direction while she was walking her dog at 11.45pm.

It pulled into a layby ahead of her, and the accused got out. He stood directly in front of her, unbuttoning his jeans while maintaining eye contact with the alarmed female.

She crossed to the other side of the road and hurried by, but glanced back to find he was still staring at her, with his private parts exposed.Dick, of Crum Crescent, was traced by officers and told them “I do stupid things when I have had a drink”.Defence solicitor Harry Couchlin said Dick had gone off to have a drink out of sight of his partner, who disapproves of the behaviour.

He added: “She obviously disapproves even more of what he did thereafter."

Mr Couchlin revealed that Dick had a police warning from England for an “analagous offence” but added that this had come from a “boisterous night in a pub”.Sheriff Christopher Shead issued a Community Payback Order, for Dick to be placed under supervision for 12 months, and complete 50 hours of unpaid work within six months.Because his victim was over the age of 18, Dick will not be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

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