A READING man has been sentenced to ten weeks in prison after being caught flashing twice.

Noventino Pinto, of Cumberland Road, Reading, was caught exposing his genitals back in September 2018 and in February 2019.

Last month he was sentenced at Reading Magistrates Court to ten weeks in prison (suspended for 22 weeks) for ‘intentionally causing alarm and distress’ on both occasions.

The 32-year-old was also made to pay a victim surcharge of £122 for his actions.

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Pinto appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on Wednesday, April 7.

What is ‘flashing’?

Flashing is a colloquial name for ‘exposure’, and it is classed as a sexual offence under the sexual offences act 2003.

A person commits an offence of exposure if they intentionally expose their genitals with the intention of someone seeing them and them being alarmed or distressed.

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According to Victim Support Scotland, it may be done for sexual gratification or to cause fear, alarm, humiliation and distress.

What’s the effect of flashing on the victim?

“Many women and men have a heightened fear of sexual crime and research shows that this makes anything like indecent exposure or flashing extremely frightening.

“It can lead to anxiety, fear and feelings of distrust and violation”, the support service said.

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