A PERVERT who asked boys in a play area “if they liked his body” and whistled at girls has been jailed.

Tyrone Griffith, of Witchards, Basildon, was in court yesterday accused of inappropriate behaviour around children as well as stalking a woman.

The 52-year-old was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order dating back to 2018 after he had kissed a young girl and shown her his private parts.

Earlier this year, he made a series of inappropriate comments to children in a park as well as shouting through a woman’s letterbox and attacking officers who attempted to arrest him.

Sentencing, Recorder John Gallagher, said: “You have shown a flagrant disregard for orders of the court. I cannot suspend the sentence due to the sheer totality and seriousness of the offences.

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“The lead offence was on April 14 when you were seen close to children in a children’s play area and you were asking boys aged 11 and 12 years old if they liked your body.

“You were also undressing the top of your body and looking and whistling at girls aged 13. You made a mother in the park with her two children feel very uneasy and you made inappropriate comments and behaved inappropriately towards her.”

Mitigating, Christopher Martin, said: “He suffered a stroke in 2004 and has suffered various health conditions since and finds it hard to work.

“His offending seems to be linked to Class A drug use and he needs help to break that cycle.”

He previously admitted two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, assault by beating of an emergency worker, racially, religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, distress in words or writing and stalking without fear, alarm or distress.

He was jailed for one year.