JAMIE STEWART OF BLAIRGOWRIE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING A TEENAGE GIRL

A man from Blairgowrie, Jamie Stewart, aged 31, has been sentenced after admitting to a series of sexual misconduct charges against a 14-year-old girl. Stewart pleaded guilty to a campaign of abuse that spanned nearly seven years, including sending explicit photos and videos to the girl. It was only after she provided evidence in court that he acknowledged engaging in physical sexual activities with her.

The victim cannot be identified due to legal protections. At Perth Sheriff Court, the sheriff described Stewart's actions as “terrible.”

Stewart, residing on Heather Drive in Blairgowrie, pleaded guilty to communicating indecently with the girl between October 2017 and December 2018, when she was 14 and 15 years old. Through text messages and social media, he engaged her in sexualized conversations, sending her explicit images and videos of himself and requesting the same from her. Stewart admitted this was done for his own sexual gratification or to cause her humiliation, alarm, or distress.

Following her testimony before a jury, Stewart also accepted an amended charge of engaging in sexual activity with the girl in February 2018, when she was 15. This involved kissing her on the lips at a property in Blairgowrie, touching her breasts and buttocks, persuading her to perform a sex act on him, and performing a sex act himself. He also placed a sex toy on her private parts. At the time of these sexual acts, Stewart was 25 years old.

His defence solicitor, Steve Lafferty, described Stewart as a “high-functioning autistic, currently employed, and a first-time offender.” He stated, “He’s always effectively accepted charge one (indecent communication). It’s a situation where he had described a degree of remorse. It’s a significant offence he’s committed. The report reflects a man who would comply fully with community-based disposals. He tells me he was initially resistant to this young woman being in his property. That’s not the case on the second occasion. It’s his fault, he accepts that.”

Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC sentenced Stewart to a community-based punishment instead of jail, saying, “This is a terrible offence where you, ten years his senior, met her through a position of trust. I note that you feel regret and express some understanding of the impact on the victim. You are assessed as medium risk. I note that you do not meet criteria for specialist intervention and that this is your first offence. I also acknowledge your mental health difficulties, particularly autism. This case is finely balanced.”

The sheriff ordered Stewart to complete 300 hours of unpaid work within a year as an alternative to imprisonment. Additionally, she placed him under supervision for two years and mandated registration on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period. Strict conduct requirements were also imposed, restricting contact with children, the victim, social media usage, and the need to declare friendships and relationships.