A registered sex offender has been jailed after he groped a 16-year-old girl during a north-east bus journey.
Ryan Burnett, 25, told the teen he “didn’t know where to get off” the Aberdeen to Peterhead bus and the girl kindly let him sit next to her.
But when the teenager because to feel queasy from motion sickness during the journey, Burnett took advantage of the situation by groping her legs and breasts.
Sheriff Ian Wallace described Burnett as a “danger to the public” and young women.
Fiscal depute Lynn MacVicar told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that it was about 20 minutes into the journey when the teenager started to feel sick and Burnett came and sat in the seat next to her.
“She assumed the accused was trying to be nice to her as she was feeling unwell,” Ms MacVicar said.
“The accused, without saying anything, started touching the complainer’s thigh over her jeans.
“She described the touching as caressing and stroking motions.
Victim told family about groping incident
“The accused was doing this with his right hand as he was drinking a can of beer with his left.
“At one point, whilst the accused was stroking her thigh, he moved his hand to touch her bare skin around her ankle – as he did this he said her legs were ‘soft’ and asked if she ‘shaved’.”
The girl then said she wanted to use the toilet in order to get away from Burnett, but when she arrived back to her seat he returned and continued to stroke her left thigh.
The court heard he also rubbed his crotch against the teenager’s leg as he did this making her feel uncomfortable.
Burnett then went to the toilet for around 10 minutes and returned, saying to the girl “I hope this isn’t going to be a one-night bus stand”.
He then sat down next to her again and kissed the girl while rubbing her thigh, causing her to pull away and bang her head against the window.
As the bus approached Peterhead, Burnett then lifted the teenager’s top and bra and began touching her breasts.
The girl then got off the bus and went home, where she told her family about the “groping” incident.
Due to the level of her daughter’s anxiety, her mother decided they would wait until the next morning to report the incident to the police.
Her mother also said her daughter got up several times that night to be sick, which she attributed to what happened on the bus.
Burnett was later traced and arrested under the Sexual Offences Act.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault by touching the 16-year-old on the body, kissing and pulling up her top to expose her naked breast.
‘You are a danger to young females’
Defence agent Sam Milligan told the court that there was an “acceptance” on the part of his client that he would face a custodial sentence.
He added: “Mr Burnett’s upbringing can not be described as anything but turbulent.
“However, he is a young man who is not without talents.
“He has completed courses even while on remand.”
Sheriff Wallace told Burnett that it was “clear to him that a custodial sentence was the only means of dealing with this matter”.
He added: “It’s clear from your previous convictions that you are a danger to the public and you have a previous conviction for possession of indecent images and you were subject to a condition not to approach or contact any females under the age of 16.
“This offence was clearly a very frightening experience for the girl who was aged 16, so it’s clear that you are also a danger to young females.”
Sheriff Wallace sentenced Burnett, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to more than 26 months in prison, which was a total extension of his current sentence to 50 months.
He also placed Burnett on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
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