PERTH MAN GETS PROBATION FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 13-YEAR-OLD BOY ON BUS
A middle-aged man named Christopher Roper has been placed on probation for 18 months after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy during a bus trip.Roper, aged 43 and from Farnworth, Bolton, committed the offense on Hogmanay last year while traveling from Perth to a village in the Carse of Gowrie.
The court heard how Roper made sexually suggestive remarks, urged the teen to kiss him, and touched him on the legs, buttocks, and private parts.
Roper initially denied the assault, claiming it was a misunderstanding and that he was intoxicated, having consumed six or seven pints of beer.
He said he approached the boy for a casual conversation, but the court deemed his story unreliable.
The victim testified that Roper asked if he wanted to have a 'good time,' rubbed his thigh, and squeezed his bottom, feeling the behavior was clearly inappropriate.
Roper argued he did not ask for a kiss and may have accidentally brushed the boy's crotch while trying to clear fogged-up bus windows.
The court found Roper guilty and branded his actions 'very unpleasant behaviour in public,' noting that he was likely under the influence of alcohol rather than having deep psychological issues.
In addition to probation, Roper was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service and his name was added to the sex offenders register.
