Highland councillor seeks assurances over monitoring of sex offenders
Assurances on the monitoring of sex offenders have been sought by a Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor following a recent incident in Aviemore.
It comes after a serial rapist of young girls was housed in a family neighbourhood in the village close to a safer routes to school and where pupils catch and depart the Kingussie High School bus.
Chief Inspector Gough was asked to give guarantees about the monitoring of "dangerous" sexual offenders when they are relocated to the local community.
Local councillor Bill Lobban wanted to know that this was being done appropriately.
Rapist John Locke was forced to leave his home in Sluggan Drive, Aviemore, last month after a crowd of 70 gathered outside to protest about his presence.
Mr Locke, originally from Inverness, and jailed in 1998 for at least 15 years for the rape of a 15-year-old girl in the city after being convicted in the High Court in Inverness.
Mr Locke, then 51, was previously convicted of rape at the high courts in Glasgow and Airdrie in the 1980s. He raped the 15-year-old on an estate in Inverness, three months following his release from jail after serving 10 years.
Neighbours in Aviemore were alerted that Mr Locke was living there after he was dropped off by a prison van during home visits towards the end of his sentence.
Speaking at the area committee at Talla nan Ros, King Street, Kingussie, yesterday (Wednesday), Mr Gough said there was "a very robust plan around police officer management".
He said the offenders were subjected to robust visits and inspections and as area commander, he was aware of who was placed in the local area.