PSYCHIATRIC reports have been ordered for a 14-year-old Bideford boy who admitted sexually assaulting four women.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to four sexual offences, when he appeared before Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday.

He sexually assaulted four females, aged from 14 to 50, during incidents in December last year and in January this year.

Prosecutor Sean Brunton was not required to tell the court about the circumstances of the attacks as sentencing was adjourned until a date to be set.

He said that some of the victims had made statements about the impact of the crimes, which would be read out when the boy was sentenced.

He added there would be an application to impose a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at that hearing.

The nature of the offences had been outlined at an earlier hearing before North Devon Youth Court in Barnstaple.

The first charge related to an incident on the Tarka Trail on December 3 when a 50-year-old woman had her bottom grabbed. The second allegation against the boy was said to have taken place on December 7, when a 14-year-old was attacked.

The youth court heard that the defendant grabbed her bottom and grabbed her around the waist and squeezed her breasts so tightly she struggled to breathe.

He tried to carry her towards a dark drive way. She kicked him and tried to scream. He placed his hand over her mouth and she bit him and screamed again before he ran off. Police linked him to the crime through DNA evidence.

Two more attacks, both on 19-year-old women, were said to have taken place on the Tarka Trail near East-the-Water, Bideford on January 1 and 5.

In the January 5 attack the youth court was told the defendant followed the victim for half a mile before grabbing her from behind.

The teenager, wearing a dark T-shirt and trousers, was accompanied to Exeter Crown Court by a social worker.

He remained calm as he entered his guilty pleas.

Defence counsel Richard Crabb said the boy was currently remanded in secure accommodation.

He said: "Clearly this needs a report from the youth offending team and they believe the court would be assisted by a psychiatric report."

Mr Crabb added there would be an interim requirement for the boy to put his details on the Sex Offender Register as a routine measure.

He also successfully applied for a formal ban to prevent anything being published which identified the boy, because of his age.

Judge Stephen Wildblood QC checked that the report would be done by a psychiatrist who specialised in assessing children and adolescents. The boy will remain in secure accommodation while awaiting sentencing.