July 2010 Man seen taking indecent pictures HOLIDAYMAKERS saw a man taking photos up a young girl’s skirt on a South Devon beach, a court has heard. Ernest Heap, 55, from Burniston Close, Plymouth has been given a community order, involving nine months of supervision, for the incident at Golden Sands holiday park in Dawlish Warren. He was also given an electronically-tagged 90-day curfew to stay at his home between 7pm and 5.30am daily. Heap has pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of a child, who was around five years old, on the basis he was drunk and could not remember doing it. Judge Stephen Wildblood QC said: “This was truly pathetic and ridiculous behaviour involving a young girl. “It is disgraceful behaviour and understandably caused those who observed it to be immensely angered by what you did.” Prosecutor Joss Ticehurst said the holidaymaker was playing pool when he saw Heap behaving suspiciously at the holiday park’s arcade at about 9.30pm on September 26 last year. The same holidaymaker later left but fetched the resort manager when he returned and saw Heap again standing on his own near the slot machines. When challenged by the manager, Heap dropped his mobile phone and walked away. Police discovered several indecent photographs viewing up a young girl’s skirt. Officers traced Heap to his address and searched his home but did not find any other indecent photographs. Defence counsel Nigel Wraith said the defendant was an alcoholic. He said Heap had no memory of the incident but was deeply ashamed. Judge Wildblood ordered Heap to put his details on the sex offenders register for ten years. The judge ordered a not guilty verdict on an alternative offence of outraging public decency, which Heap had denied.