Grantown sex offender breached conditions with road trip with boys

A high-risk sex offender who had been banned from being in the company of any boy under 16 years of age went on a road trip with two youngsters in February.

Scott Murray, described as an Inverness prisoner, was under a 10 year long Sexual Harm Prevention Order which was granted at Inverness on July 20, 2015.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Murray, from Grantown, had breached that order several times.

Sheriff Margaret Neilson also heard that in March, 2017 he was released early from a 21 month jail sentence handed down for peeking at boys in a leisure centre, from which he is also banned from entering.

Murray's latest breach occurred between October 1, 2018 and February 5, 2019.

Fiscal depute Robert Weir said Murray met with a 14 year old boy at Inverness Skate Park on February 5, 2019 in his blue Astra about noon.

The teenager was reported missing to the police by his mother later that evening after he failed to attend school.

Officers were told by her that she believed him to be in the company of a man called Scott in Dundee.

Police suspected Murray was involved and mobile patrols were alerted to keep a look out for his car.

It was seen later that evening heading towards Inverness, police stopped it and inside were three teenagers, including the 14 year old.

Mr Weir said subsequent investigations revealed that 33 year old Murray had taken the boy to Dundee and had been in regular contact with him since the beginning of October the previous year.

They met regularly at the Skate Park, and he would be taken by Murray to fast food restaurants, Drumnadrochit and Dundee.

The boy had also stayed at Murray's then home in Telford Street.

Police also discovered that a second boy, aged 11, had also met with Murray at the Skate Park and had been lured into his car to be supplied with food and drink, Mr Weir added.

Defence solicitor Willie Young said his client became friendly with several people at the Skate Park, mostly over the age of 16 but in the group were the young teenagers.

"That group attended his home and they took trips to Dundee to go to the casino."

Sheriff Neilson jailed Murray for 18 months, backdated to February 6.

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