A TRANENT man has escaped being placed on the sex offenders’ register, despite being found guilty of exposing himself on three separate occasions.

Thomas McLaughlin was found to have intentionally exposed his genitals to a woman at a footpath near Inveresk Road, Musselburgh, on September 3, 2020.

He was also found to have exposed himself to an unknown person by opening his dressing gown at Ormiston Road, Tranent, on October 10 the same year.

And the 54-year-old also committed a similar offence by repeatedly lifting his dressing gown towards two people while out in the street at the town’s Muirpark Road on November 14.

McLaughlin, of Meadowside, denied the allegations against him but was found guilty of the three offences by Sheriff Douglas Keir following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

He returned to the dock for sentencing last Thursday, where the sheriff acknowledged that the social work report recommended “a community-based disposal is appropriate in this case”.

The sheriff placed McLaughlin on a 12-month supervision order and said he must carry out 80 hours of unpaid work in the community.

The sheriff, who was told of McLaughlin’s alcohol misuse, added: “The charges do not meet the requirements of the sex offenders’ register.”