August 2013 ‘Obnoxious’ Ilfracombe flasher banned from contacting any child A flasher has been ordered to stay away from children after he left two young sisters too frightened to walk to school on their own. Mark Barrow’s actions were branded obnoxious and very offensive by a Judge who directed he should receive psychiatric help in the community to prevent further offences. Barrow, 22, ambushed the girls aged seven and nine on their way home from school and pulled down his trousers to expose himself to them. He was caught because they spotted him going into a Coop shop near the scene in Marlborough Road, Ilfracombe, and he was identified from its CCTV. Shocked bystanders who saw the incident rushed to protect the children, Exeter Crown Court was told. Barrow, who was living at Runnacleave Road, Ilfracombe at the time but is now homeless, admitted indecent exposure and was banned from having any unsupervised contact with children by a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. He was also ordered to receive mental health treatment as part of a two year supervision order and to live where directed by the probation service. Barrow has already served the equivalent of a five month sentence while waiting for his case to be dealt with. Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, told him:”What you did was obnoxious and very, very offensive. If you do it again you will go to prison for a long time. “However, it is clear you need support and help if you are to avoid further offending. I am making a SOPO because there were young children involved and what you did was very wrong. “You are a single man and there is no need for you to have unsupervised contact with children.” Mr David Bowen, prosecuting, said the two girls aged seven and nine were walking home at 3.40 pm on May 12 in Marlborough Road, Ilfracombe when Barrow approached them. He said:”He saw the girls, crossed the street and approached them on the pavement and stopped within an arms length of them before pulling down his trousers and pants and exposing himself. “The younger girl was too traumatised to be interviewed and the nine-year-old said she was shocked and shaken and scared about going out on her own.” Mr Jeremy Harris, defending, said Barrow is keen to receive help for his problems and plans to find new accommodation in the Barnstaple area through the probation service.