FIFE MAN ON SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER AFTER OBSCENE CALLS TO TRAVEL AGENTS
A man from Fife who repeatedly made lewd phone calls to travel agencies has been ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.James Hunter targeted two female employees at a shop in the centre of Aberdeen.
On two separate occasions, the 38-year-old individual called the business pretending to arrange a holiday for himself, but then engaged in sexual acts during the calls.
Sheriff Daniel Kelly imposed a three-year supervised order on Hunter, during which his electronic devices will be monitored, and also mandated his registration on the sex offenders register for the next five years.
Hunter ‘highlighted’ his sexual act during calls Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Hunter started making these calls in May 2024 and continued them until April last year.
Each time, he told a female employee he was arranging a holiday to Paris or Porto, then proceeded to perform a sexual act during the conversation.
Prosecutor Maliya Ngalam stated that the duration of these calls ranged from 55 seconds to 3 minutes and 26 seconds.
“The witnesses did not know the accused,” she added.
The first call occurred on May 16, 2024, when Hunter asked for assistance in booking a holiday for two to France.
Ms Ngalam explained that as the woman began the usual questions, she started noticing background noises on the line.
The prosecutor continued: “He needed to ask her to repeat herself because he was distracted.
[He] inquired if she could hear typing sounds in the background.
These noises were actually Hunter masturbating.” He ended the call after 2 minutes and 22 seconds before calling again on July 29, repeating the same behavior.
Additional inappropriate calls Ms Ngalam stated: “Hunter then pointed out a ‘strange noise’ on the line and asked the witness if she could hear it.
“She confirmed she could hear the sound.
The accused then asked if she could hear the ‘tapping’ noise.
The sound grew louder, and he loudly, laboriously asked ‘what is that?’ [She] was in shock and did not respond.” This call lasted over three minutes and 26 seconds.
Hunter made further calls on October 31 of that year, and in January and April of 2025.
He was convicted of two counts of engaging in sexual verbal communication with women without their consent for the purpose of sexual gratification or to humiliate or distress them.
Supervision and conditions set In his sentence, Sheriff Daniel Kelly ordered Hunter to complete the ‘Moving Forward To Change’ programme.
Additionally, Hunter will be supervised by social services for three years.
As part of this supervision, he is banned from possessing any device or phone number without approval from his supervisors.
He must also allow his devices to be inspected.
Hunter, whose address was listed in court as in Fife, will also perform 120 hours of unpaid community work within the next year.
As a requirement of his sex offender registration, he must inform police of any changes to his personal details.
