A “high-risk” paedophile whose lover only became aware of his past crimes when she read a Press and Journal article has been handed a curfew.
Troy Sutherland was placed on the sex offenders register 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 a woman in Aberdeenshire who has a young daughter but didn’t disclose 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.
‘On Googling his name she found a news report’
He also admitted another breach by refusing to hand over his phone to be examined by police.
Sentence had been deferred for reports, but Sutherland has now returned to the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to learn his fate.
Sheriff Ian Wallace handed Sutherland, of Ware Road, Peterhead, a curfew to remain within his address between 8pm and 8am for a year.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson previously told the 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 babysit for her.
‘She was concerned that the accused had contact with her daughter’
On one occasion, Sutherland knocked on her door and explained he was “going to jail for punching someone”.
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.
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