A mum realised her partner was a “high-risk” paedophile after Googling his name and finding a Press and Journal story about his past crimes.
Troy Sutherland was placed on the sex offender’s register for indefinitely and jailed for 39 months in 2017 after blackmailing children to send him nude pictures.
The 27-year-old was also banned from having contact with females under 16.
But in 2021, Sutherland began a relationship with an adult woman in Aberdeenshire with a young daughter, without disclosing that he is a sex offender.
It was only when the woman decided to Google his name in search of information about a separate court case that she learned the horrifying truth.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Sutherland is classed a “high-risk registered sex offender” and was subject to regular unannounced home visits from police.
She said that during the course of Sutherland’s brief relationship with the woman, he had chatted to her seven-year-old daughter without trying to get up or move away.
He even asked the woman if she “liked the fact that he was good with children” and offered to mind her kids for her.
On one occasion, Sutherland knocked on her door and explained he was “going to jail for punching someone”.
Sutherland branded woman ‘blobby’
He was invited in and spoke to the young girl about her iPad games before staying the night.
The next day, he was asked to babysit the girl and her older brother for around an hour while their mother went to the gym.
A few days later, due to Sutherland’s comment about going to jail for punching someone, the woman decided to look at online court lists.
Ms Thompson told the court: “On Googling his name she found a news report in relation to his sexual offending and that he had offended against females aged under 16.
“She was concerned that the accused had contact with her daughter and contacted the police.”
Sutherland was traced and arrested.
In a separate incident also in 2021, Sutherland began speaking to an adult woman on a dating website.
After speaking for around two weeks they met and had consensual sex on August 14.
Ms Thompson said: “The following morning, when the complainer advised the accused that she did not wish to be in a relationship with him, he became angry and upset.
“At some point during the afternoon, the complainer was outside her address with
the accused when she again told him she did not wish to be in a relationship with
him.
“He ran towards her and began shouting in her face calling her a ‘slag’.”
Sutherland then left but began messaging the woman, including an image of “an obese naked female” performing a sex act.
The message included the text: “S*** posting online again.”
Ms Thompson said: “The complainer believed the accused was calling her fat and mocking her.
‘It was essentially to be nasty’
“The accused continued to message her including a message calling her ‘blobby’ and laughing at her stomach.”
The woman blocked him and later reported the matter to police, stating Sutherland’s actions made her feel “extremely uncomfortable, unsafe and fearful of him”.
The messages had been sent via iMessage, indicating Sutherland had been using an iPhone.
Officers from the Sex Offender Policing Unit visited his home and requested he hand over his phone to be examined.
Sutherland refused, in breach of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order, before later handing over a Samsung device.
He was arrested and taken to Fraserburgh police station.
Sutherland, of Ware Road, Peterhead, pled guilty to sending the woman sexual communications for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming her.
He also admitted breaching the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by being in contact with the young girl and refusing to hand over his phone to be examined by police.
Defence agent Grant Daglish argued the offences, while “serious”, were at the “lower end of the spectrum”.
‘Traumatic upbringing’
He said Sutherland gave his explanation for the offences in a social work report that was not made public.
Mr Daglish added his client had behaved “childishly and immaturely”.
The solicitor, regarding the offence of being in contact with the child, said: “There was nothing more sinister than he was simply trying to enter a relationship with the woman.”
Regarding the sexual message sent to the other woman, he said: “It was essentially to be nasty to the complainer. Sexual gratification was not the motivation behind the messages.”
He went on to explain Sutherland had a “traumatic upbringing”.
Sheriff Ian Wallace, regarding the sexual message sent to the woman, handed Sutherland three years of supervision and 200 hours of unpaid work.
He also ordered him to complete the Moving Forward Making Changes programme, as well as various conduct requirements.
The sheriff deferred sentence on the SOPO breaches until April for further reports.
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