A LONER who indecently exposed himself to girls and women in the Cotswold Water Park has been sent to prison.

Stephen Le-Maitre, 33, of Springfield Farm, Minety, was given a three-month custodial sentence when he appeared before magistrates.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the next seven years.

At an earlier hearing, he pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent exposure on July 5 and August 28 and indecently assaulting a 17-year-old girl on May 28.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing a pair of women's briefs on July 5, and asked for nine offences of indecent exposure in Gloucestershire and eight similar offences in Wiltshire, carried out over a period of nearly two years to be taken into consideration.

Prosecuting, Derek Ryder said the indecent assault took place at the Cotswold Hoburne caravan park, where the 17- year-old was staying in a tent with a friend.

Mr Ryder said she was touched as she bent down to open the zip to the tent.

She looked around and saw Le-Maitre walking off.

The court heard that on July 5 a woman who worked at Keynes Country Park was running around lake 32 at the water park when she saw Le-Maitre standing naked in the lake in shallow water.

At 10pm on July 5, a pair of women's briefs that had been drying outside a chalet at the Water Park were stolen.

Mr Ryder said a naked man had been seen running in that direction.

On August 28, a 39-year-old woman was cycling at Keynes Country Park with her niece when Le-Maitre passed them on a bicycle.

"Further down the track she saw him staring at her standing naked in the lake," Mr Ryder said.

Mr Ryder said Le-Maitre admitted to exposing himself to several females over a two year period because it "gave him a thrill".

He also admitted stealing women's briefs from washing lines in the area.

Defending, Howard Ogden said Le-Maitre, who has two children was of good character but was a "lonely and isolated individual."

Mr Ogden said the offences related to the breakdown of Le-Maitre's marriage after his wife suffered from mental illness.

"His life has become a lonely existence without love, having been hurt by the trauma of coping with the mental illness of his partner," he said.

Magistrates jailed Le-Maitre for three months for the indecent assault and he was ordered to register with police within three days of his release under the Sexual Offenders Act for the next seven years.