ANDREW DODDS FROM GREAT CHESTERFORD EXPOSES HIMSELF TO CHILDREN NEAR HUNTINGDON SCHOOL

In a disturbing series of incidents spanning over four years, Andrew Dodds, a 51-year-old painter and decorator from Great Chesterford, Essex, engaged in repeated acts of indecent exposure targeting young children in the vicinity of a village school near Huntingdon. The court heard that Dodds's inappropriate behavior was so frequent and well-known among local children that they nicknamed him "the willy man" due to his persistent habit of exposing himself.

Dodds would often walk his dog close to the school, situated near Huntingdon, and during these walks, he would expose himself through a hole in his trousers or overalls to children playing in the school’s playground. These acts of indecency occurred over a period of four years, with the last known incident taking place in April 2002. His behavior was eventually brought to an end when he was caught in a rather unusual situation involving a young girl.

The incident that led to his arrest involved Dodds asking a five-year-old girl, who was at a house he was decorating, to help him repair a hole around his groin area in his trousers using sticky tape. The girl’s mother, upon witnessing this request, reported the matter to the police. This report triggered a police investigation that uncovered a total of 30 separate offences of indecent exposure committed by Dodds.

At the time of his arrest, Dodds was residing at Rookery Close, Great Chesterford. He subsequently pleaded guilty to one charge of gross indecency with a child and four charges of indecent exposure. The prosecution, however, chose not to pursue evidence for six other similar charges, and 20 additional allegations remained on file, unresolved.

During the court proceedings at Peterborough Crown Court, prosecutor Andrew Peet detailed Dodds’s pattern of inappropriate behavior. It was revealed that Dodds would often expose himself through the fence of the primary school and even while he was on a ladder working on people’s homes. The court also learned that Dodds would walk his dog in a nearby park, and after the dog’s death, he was so grief-stricken that he would reminisce about their "fun times" together. His attachment to his pet was so intense that he had even created a shrine dedicated to the dog in the front of his car.

In mitigation, defense lawyer Anita Arora argued that Dodds was beginning to accept responsibility for his actions. She described his behavior as being largely unintentional and not targeted at any specific individual. Arora explained that Dodds had difficulty forming meaningful relationships and that his closest bond was with his dog, whom he worshipped. The death of his pet had a profound impact on him, leading to a decline in his mental state.

Judge Nicholas Coleman sentenced Andrew Dodds to a three-year community rehabilitation order. As part of his sentence, Dodds was required to participate in a sex offenders’ treatment program and to register as a sex offender. The judge warned that any breach of these conditions could result in a prison sentence of up to 12 months. This case highlights the serious concerns surrounding Dodds’s repeated indecent acts and the ongoing efforts of the justice system to address such troubling behavior.