MAN SENTENCED FOR ENGAGING IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH A MINOR HE MET ONLINE
Adam Smith, a detainee at Perth, appeared before Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court via video link on Thursday.The 22-year-old admitted to a pattern of abusive behavior towards his former partner, which included controlling her clothing choices, making offensive comments, encouraging her to self-harm physically, and threatening her and her relatives with violence at her Glenrothes residence from March 1, 2020, to January 16, 2021.
Additionally, he confessed to having sexual relations with a minor multiple times between June and October 2020.
The Procurator Fiscal Depute informed the court that Smith engaged in consensual sexual activity on several occasions with a girl aged 15, who is legally anonymous.
The girl’s mother frequently overheard her crying while Smith encouraged her to punch herself, and he also demanded money and threatened her younger brother.
The depute explained that the girl started communicating with Smith online during March 2020’s lockdown, meeting him face-to-face only in June 2020.
On June 13, 2020, the girl arranged to meet Smith at his home, where they had sex.
Subsequently, Smith became abusive making offensive remarks, dictating her clothing, and demanding money.
He also sent the girl’s mother images of her in sexually provocative poses and a video of her performing a sexual act.
Changes in the girl’s behavior were noticed by her teachers and her mother, including incidents where her mother was awakened by screams from her room and found her on a video call with her hand clenched, although she denied self-harm.
On other occasions, her mother overheard Smith instructing her to fetch a knife and making threats against her family.
Defending Smith, his lawyer stated the sexual encounters were consensual, with both parties having previous sexual partners.
He acknowledged that a prison sentence was inevitable, expressed remorse, and clarified that Smith would register as a sex offender for ten years a punishment he accepted.
Sheriff McFarlane described the crimes as "disgusting" and emphasised that a custodial sentence was unavoidable.
Smith was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment, placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade, supervised for one year after release, and banned from contacting the girl for five years under a non-harassment order.
