ERNEST DORANS FROM CAITHNESS AND INVERNESS SENTENCED FOR GROOMING YOUNG GIRL IN INVERNESS
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Caithness and Inverness, Ernest Dorans, a 56-year-old sex offender, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison after a series of disturbing breaches of his court orders and allegations of grooming a young girl in Inverness.According to reports from Inverness Sheriff Court, Dorans was under police surveillance at the time of his latest offenses.
Despite being subject to a court order that explicitly prohibited him from having any contact with individuals under the age of 16, he repeatedly approached children, including a young girl aged five, over a span of two years.
The court heard that Dorans, who resides in Inverness, had been monitored by police in accordance with national guidelines, yet he flagrantly violated the restrictions imposed upon him.
Ernest Dorans has a long and troubling criminal history dating back to 1975.
His earliest conviction was for assault with intent to ravish, which resulted in a four-year prison sentence.
Over the years, his record includes an 18-month sentence for indecent assault in 1980, and in 1994, he received another 18 months for two charges of abduction.
His most notorious conviction prior to the recent case was in 1997, when he was jailed for six years after indecently assaulting a six-year-old girl in public toilets in Caithness.
All of these convictions have involved offenses against young children, highlighting a pattern of predatory behavior.
In June of this year, police arrested Dorans following information that came to light during routine monitoring.
The police investigation revealed that Dorans had been in the company of three children at an address in Ross-shire on up to five separate occasions.
During police inquiries, officers observed that Dorans exhibited grooming behaviors, such as buying sweets for the young girl, taking her on trips, and spending time alone with her in her bedroom.
These actions raised significant concerns among the authorities, who emphasized that such conduct is characteristic of grooming and poses a serious threat to public safety.
Depute fiscal Ron Phillips described the breach as
