GEORGE Jarvis carried out a sex attack on a teenage girl as she struggled to open her front door following a night out.

The 23-year-old had stalked his victim as she walked home in the early hours of the morning after exposing himself to her.

Now he faces a jail term for his attack on the 19-year-old victim.

Jarvis was on his mountain bike in the early hours of Sunday, October 19, when he launched the attack, a court heard.

Lynne Henderson, prosecuting, told magistrates that the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been out in the town centre with friends on the Saturday night.

A taxi had dropped her off in Gorse Hill so she could get some food before making her way home. She was walking along Cricklade Road when Jarvis stared at her as he passed her on the other side of the road riding his bike.

"He shouted 'How much do you charge?' to which she replied that she wasn't a prostitute," Miss Henderson said.

"She said it was an incident which had happened before and thought nothing of it and carried on."

The girl was walking past the Swiss Chalet pub when a cyclist appeared in front of her and stopped.

She told him to leave her alone but still had to walk past him and she noticed he had unzipped his trousers and was exposing himself.

The scared teenager rushed away towards her home but could hear the pedalling of the bike behind her and suddenly felt a hand on her neck.

"She was extremely scared and concerned for her personal safety," Miss Henderson said.

The defendant then sat watching her walking away but struck again when the girl arrived home.

He carried out a sexual assault and she managed to reach her personal alarm. Jarvis then left her.

Miss Henderson said that as a result of the attack the victim had been left frightened and vulnerable and scared of being alone at home as the attack happened at the door.

The court heard that when Jarvis was about five years old he was diagnosed as having learning difficulties and did not go through mainstream schooling.

He told police he had seen the girl and exposed himself and 'tried to get off with her'.

David Gostling, defending, said that his client was adamant that he had not pinned the girl to the door but accepted everything else she had said.

Mr Gostling said Jarvis, who when he was aged 16 was found to have a mental age of 11, had drunk about eleven pints on the night of the incident. He said his client was sorry for what he had done.

Jarvis, of Pinehurst Road, pleaded guilty to indecent assault and exposing himself.

Magistrates adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports to be prepared and released Jarvis on conditional bail until December 4.

He was warned that all options were still open for sentencing including custody.

Barrie Hudson