Moulton man 'seen naked by schoolgirls' said it was 'accidental'

A MOULTON man accused of showing his penis to schoolgirls was searching for school term times a month earlier, a court has heard.

Thomas Arcus is on trial over two almost identical alleged incidents on Tuesday, October 15, and Wednesday, October 16, 2024.

The 42-year-old is accused of standing 'completely naked' at his downstairs window and showing his genitals to the girls as they walked past his Main Road home towards a nearby bus stop.

The jury of four men and eight women heard Arcus had been searching for school term times a month earlier according to an analysis of his mobile phone by the police.

Prosecutor Brett Williamson said on the same day as the second alleged incident he also accessed the web pages for the words 'Lolita' and 'hebephilia' on Wikipedia.

On day two of the trial, Mr Williamson said: "'Lolita' is a film starring Jeremy Irons as a middle-aged male character who is sexually obsessed with his step-daughter. 'Hebephilia' is a sexual preference for pubescent children usually between 10 years old and 14 years old."

It is the crown's case he acted deliberately to cause 'alarm and distress' but at his police interview he said it was 'accidental'.

Arcus said he walked around naked in the morning so he did not wake up his partner when he was using a chest of drawers.

The defendant said he was searching for school term times for traffic reasons at the start of the school year in September 2024.

He did remember searching 'Lolita', as a part of a conversation with his partner, but he did not remember searching 'hebephilia'.

On day three of the trial, the defendant said: "I absolutely did not touch myself.

"I absolutely would not be walking around my house while sexually aroused."

Arcus pleaded not guilty to two counts of exposure at a plea and trial preparation hearing last year.

The trial is ongoing before Recorder Anthony O'Donohoe and it is likely to last until later this week.