Hartlepool teenager performed sex act on rocking horse

Callum Green was caught on CCTV performing a sex act involving a metal rocking horse and a tree branch at a children’s playground in Burn Valley Park, Hartlepool, last October.

The 19-year-old was arrested after the appalled CCTV operators contacted police at 6.20am after witnessing his behaviour.

Lynne Dalton, prosecuting, said a CCTV operator who had to watch the incident described it as ‘lewd and unhygienic’ behaviour in a children’s playground.

She said: “They observed the defendant walk around the play area before approaching the rocking horse.

“The operator said he was disgusted that he was doing it in public where children play.”

The details of exactly what Green did in the play park were read out in court but are too graphic for publication.

Ms Dalton said Green walked away from the rocking horse before snapping a branch off a tree and sitting down on a park bench when he performed another sex act.

Green, of Alston Street, Hartlepool, was convicted of outraging public decency on on October 15. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage but a legal argument ensued over whether the sex acts needed to be observed by two people in person or whether the observations of the two CCTV operators were sufficient.

Georgia Wilkinson, mitigating, said her client pleaded guilty to criminal damage at the earliest opportunity.

“The offence was committed while under the influence of alcohol and his recollection is very limited,” she said.

“These offences date back to October 2024 when he was just 18, he is now 19 and has not troubled the court since then.”

David Bennett, the chairman of the bench, sentenced the teenager to a two-year community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.

He said: “We are always sad to see a young man in court, regardless of the nature of the offence, and we want to get you onto the right path.

“You need to work with the probation service and do what they ask of you.

“The alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement will not be easy for anybody but you need to do it.”

Green was also ordered to pay £964 towards court costs.