Portsmouth man sentenced to more than two years in prison for indecent exposure

A 41-year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to more than two years in prison after admitting to an indecent exposure in Southsea.

Terry Colin Cronin, of St Michaels Road, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The charges relate to an incident that was reported to us in June of last year.

On  the morning of June 8 2021, a woman in her 60s was walking along Frensham Road when she saw a man indecently exposing himself and carrying out a sexual act at the window of a nearby property. He then knocked on the window in an attempt to get her attention.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday (24 August), Cronin was sentenced to 26 months in prison and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable James Adams, who led the investigation, said: “In imposing this custodial sentence, the court has acknowledged the severity of this offence, the impact on the victim and the community as a whole. I would like to thank the woman involved in this case who felt able to tell us about what had happened and played a vital role in securing this conviction.

“Cronin’s actions placed the woman in a shocking and distressing situation. No-one should be made to feel this way and we hope that this sentence shows that we will investigate reports of this nature and do everything in our power to bring perpetrators to justice.

"We hope that people feel they can speak to us, or one of the many support services available, if they have been the victim of this type of crime.”

For information about how to report incidents of this nature and the support on offer, visit: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/