A young man with a serious degenerative disease and a “tragic background” was yesterday put on probation for exposing himself to six schoolgirls when he was still a minor.

The man, whose particulars cannot be published by court order, admitted to the charges of defiling minors and offending public morals.

The girls’ parents had not wanted any criminal action to be taken against him, the court heard. Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani noted the accused had a “tragic background”. He suffered from a genetic disease whose symptoms included the growth of tumours along nerves in the skin and brain. The same disease claimed his sister’s life in 2000, the court noted.

He also had a violent and alcoholic father who completely abandoned the family after separating from the mother.

As a result of his condition, the accused had been badly bullied at school to the extent that a schoolboy had been criminally charged, the magistrate said.

In handing down judgment, she took into consideration a report drawn up by a probation officer, the early guilty plea and the man’s clean criminal record.

She placed him under a probation order for two years.