Cook was spotted by a dog walker standing in a park with his hands on his hips and his genitals hanging out of his unzipped flies. Due to his previous offences, a court had previously ordered Cook to always have two articles of clothing covering his private area.
However, Cook argued that on April 27, his clean pants were at the launderette, which is why his penis was visible in Poverest Recreation Ground in Orpington. He claimed that he must have forgotten to zip up his trousers after using the toilet. Bromley Magistrates’ Court accepted this explanation on July 19 and instead issued Cook a community order rather than a prison sentence.
According to prosecutor Catherine Van Zeeland, a woman walking her dog at 7:20 am witnessed Cook standing with his exposed penis. The police were called, and upon his arrest, Cook admitted to having his genitals exposed but claimed that he was unaware of it at the time. Cook mentioned that he is homeless, residing in a tent in Poverest Recreation Ground and washing his clothes at a laundrette.
Cook pleaded guilty to breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, with the Crown Prosecution Service accepting his explanation as the basis of his plea. The dog walker who witnessed the incident withdrew her support for Cook’s prosecution due to concerns about encountering him in court. She expressed constant distress and worry about potential encounters.
Cook has a lengthy criminal record, including the sexual assault of a female, three convictions for indecent exposure, and two breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. A probation worker noted a potential thrill-seeking element in Cook’s behaviour, while his defence counsel disputed this claim and stated that previous offences occurred when Cook was not engaging with mental health services.
The court heard that Cook is currently engaged with mental health services and, although homeless, he intends to relocate to Lincolnshire to live with his sister. As part of his sentencing, magistrates imposed a two-year community order on Cook, which includes participation in the Horizon Programme aimed at rehabilitating sex offenders.
