A child sex offender’s motorhome trip across the Highlands landed him in prison for failing to report he would stay at campsites where children were present.

Kenneth Bond admitted failing to keep police properly informed about his whereabouts and that he would likely be near families with young children.

The 63-year-old – who was once found waiting for a 12-year-old in a hotel room with a bag of sex toys, ropes and alcohol – managed to stay at the sites without the authorities knowing for over six months.

Holidaymakers in Dingwall, at Loch Ness, in Fort Augustus and Inverness would have been unaware that a convicted sex offender was among them at the time.

Bond was only caught when he walked into a Perth police station and informed officers he was staying at a local campsite.

Bond’s defence lawyer said his client had given himself ‘the benefit of the doubt’

His defence solicitor Kevin Connor told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that his client had been given incorrect advice by his supervising officer concerning the terms of his notification requirements.

However, Mr Connor conceded that his client had given himself “the benefit of the doubt” on too many occasions.

It is understood that Bond previously breached his order in a similar way on several occasions.

Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told the court that one of the requirements of someone on the sex offenders register is to inform police if they plan to stay somewhere other than their home for more than seven days.

She said Bond was also under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), banning him from living where there might be children under 16 living nearby.

Paedophile holidayed in Dingwall, Foyers and Glencoe

It was stated that, in March 2023, Bond purchased a campervan and decided to travel around Scotland.

He told his supervision officer of his plans and was reminded of his notification requirements, Ms Simpson said.

Between April 7 and 14 last year, Bond stayed at Dingwall Camping and Caravanning Site and breached his order by knowingly staying in a place where children were likely to be present.

On April 21 last year, Bond then stayed in his campervan at Loch Ness Shores Camping and Caravanning Club Site near Foyers – knowing there may be children there – until April 28.

And between April 28 and May 5, Bond took a spot at Glencoe Camping and Caravanning Club Site knowing children would be there.

He neglected to notify the police on every occasion that he stayed at the locations for more than seven days.

From October 27 last year until October 29, Bond parked his camper at Milarrochy Bay Camping and Caravanning Club Site near Glasgow and between December 12 and December 21 at another campsite near Perth.

He knew children would be at both locations but chose to stay there nonetheless.

The offences only came to light after Bond visited a police station in Perth in December last year to notify officers he had been staying at a campsite in the area.

In the dock, Bond pled guilty to three counts of breaching his notification requirements and five charges of failing to give notice that he would be staying in a location where children would be present.

‘His home was targeted and damaged and he was told by police it was not safe’

Defence lawyer Kevin Connor told the court that his client had been operating under the belief he was adhering to the conditions of both his sex offender orders while on his campervan trip.

“It’s a pretty unusual situation here,” he said.

“Mr Bond came to purchase a campervan when his home was targeted by protesters who were unhappy that a registered sex offender was living in the area.

“His home was targeted and damaged and he was told by police it was not safe.”

Mr Connor said that Bond had received information from his supervising officer that he only had to notify the police if he intended to stay anywhere over more than seven days, rather than for seven days.

‘No alternative to a custodial sentence’

On the issue of children being present, Mr Connor stated that Bond had “convinced himself that resting at the caravan park inside the campervan was the same as being in a house, but they were all considered living under the same address.

“That’s his biggest problem. It is giving himself the benefit of the doubt. Mr Bond fully accepts that a custodial sentence is inevitable.”

Sheriff Philip Mann told Bond that this was “quite a serious situation” and that “there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”

He jailed Bond, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, for 20 months.

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