AN unsociable teenager's sexual feelings, aroused by pornographic video tapes, could not be expressed in a proper way as he was shunned by girls his own age, the High Court heard yesterday. Wan Man-kei, 18 this month, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a seven-year-old girl and one count of indecent conduct towards a child under the age of 16. The court heard Wan was reading a newspaper in the hall of a youth centre where the victim was playing hide-and-seek with her brother, 12, on October 27. He told the girl to follow him until they came to a podium of June Garden in Tung Chau Street, Tai Kok Tsui. Wan then told the girl to lie on the ground and indecently assaulted her. Prosecutor Alex Lee said Wan desisted when the girl screamed. He pulled up his trousers and ran away. The girl complained to her brother when she returned to the youth centre and police were alerted. Defence counsel Esther Toh told the court that Wan was arrested when he returned to the youth centre a few days later. She said Wan came from a broken home with divorced parents. He also felt inferior as he was despised by other people because of his low intelligence. For a young man of his age, Wan was unable to make proper contact with girls. His sexual interest was derived from pornographic video tapes brought home by his older brothers. Wan's curiosity was aroused and he took this out on a seven-year-old girl. Wan had a previous conviction for indecent assault in June last year. The court heard he was placed on 12 months' probation. Later he was found in breach of probation and was now serving a detention centre order in Sha Tsui. Deputy Judge Burrell adjourned sentence until May 17 for reports on Wan's background including psychiatric and psychological assessments.
