Kevin DopsonWILTSHIRE TIMES EXCLUSIVE: A PARANOID schizophrenic with a history of preying on teenage girls has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two young women within the space of a few minutes in Trowbridge.

Kevin Dopson, 26, was also found guilty of assaulting a third girl half-an-hour later on March 11 2004.

After his three-day trial ended at Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday, it was revealed Dopson had been arrested for molesting a 15-year-old girl in Trowbridge two years ago, but was not charged because he was considered to be mentally ill.

Police said they could not comment on previous offences, but DC Neil Le'Maire said: "The right decision was made by the court. He has a history of mental illness and the court would have taken that into account."

The mother of one of the victims, who was attacked in an alleyway next to The John of Gaunt School, said: "We hope he gets jailed for a long time as someone like that should not be allowed to walk free. The police let him go because they thought he was safe but he obviously wasn't."

Ian Dixey, prosecuting, said the 17-year-old girl was walking along the alleyway at 12.40pm when Dopson grabbed her wrist and pushed her against some railings.

Putting his hand over her mouth, Dopson pulled on the belt on her jeans