A man set fire to a 12-year-old boy's hair with the contents of an aerosol can and later performed an indecent act in front of him while watching porn, a court heard.

David Whatling, 36, had been out of prison for two months after serving a sentence for indecent assault when he befriended a boy whose parents found him in Whatling's bed on December 11, 2000.

Hull Crown Court heard Whatling, of Dixon Gardens, Selby, had been in the habit of allowing children into his elderly parents' home. He was described in court by his own barrister as a social misfit, inept in the company of adults.

Mr Justice Bennett ordered Whatling to live for 12 months at a bail hostel in Hull and put him on probation for three years.

Whatling earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and a separate second charge of committing an act of gross indecency.

Prosecuting, Simon Waley told the court Whatling befriended the 12-year-old boy on December 11 and, in the company of other youngsters, was drinking alcohol with him at his home.

He said the assault happened when the contents of an aerosol sprayed at the boy's head caught fire, burning his eyebrows and hair.

Mr Waley said the more serious charge of indecency happened after the boy initially left the house and returned the same day when Whatling was alone. Whatling put on a pornographic video and performed an indecent act in front of the 12-year-old.

Mr Waley said, that evening, Whatling shared a bed with the boy and was found there by the boy's parents who had gone looking for him.

The court heard Whatling was convicted in October 1999 for indecently assaulting a 13-year-old girl and was given a 12-month custodial sentence at Teesside Crown Court. He had completed the sentence.

Defending, Rosalind Wood said Whatling had pleaded guilty and was full of remorse. He was resigned to receiving a custodial sentence and had voluntarily gone to live in a bail hostel after pleading guilty at Goole Magistrates Court on February 16.

She said: "He seems to know his behaviour is antisocial and that it is abhorrent to other members of society," said Mrs Wood. "What he does not know is why he does it. He is inept and a social misfit who has problems conversing with his peer group."

Mrs Wood said since the initial publicity of his offending, his family had been stigmatised and his elderly parents had suffered.

Updated: 14:35 Thursday, April 26, 2001