A “confused” pervert led a 13-year-old boy into the woods in Aberdeenshire and sexually assaulted him.
Connor Harrison started talking to the child while lurking outside Lumsden School one evening and quickly began acting strangely.
The 28-year-old stared at the child’s groin and complimented his legs before leading him into a wooded area.
With the boy “frozen” in fear, Harrison then leaned in and stroked his thigh before they were interrupted and the teen managed to get away.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Gunn told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the child had gone out for a walk with friends shortly after 9pm on June 13 2023 but became separated from them.
As he walked near Lumsden Primary School, he spotted Harrison, who he did not know, standing next to a car within a layby and said hello.
Harrison said hello back and gestured for the child to come over.
‘I was confused. Sorry’
He did and the pair spoke to each other but did not share their names.
The child, apprehensive about the situation, took note of the vehicle’s number plate and texted it to himself.
Harrison told the boy that he was “bored”, that he’d been there “for a few hours” and that he’d “taken something which did not work”.
Ms Gunn told the court: “During the conversation, the complainer noticed the accused looking at him, staring at his groin area whilst stating that he liked his legs and they looked very nice.
“The complainer then started to record the incident on his phone, however then placed the phone in his pocket.
“The accused then started to lift up his own top, exposing his stomach and pointing at his belly button.”
This behaviour left the child feeling “creeped out and uncomfortable” and causing him to “freeze”.
But Harrison continued to talk to the boy, asking if he wanted to find a place to sit.
Ms Gunn said: “The accused then led the complainer into a nearby wooded area by grabbing the top of his left arm and walking in the direction of the woods.
‘I was scared he had a knife’
“The accused led the complainer into a clearing in the wooded area not far
from the layby.
“While walking there, the accused continued to pull up his own top, exposing his own stomach and touching his own legs, making the complainer feel nervous.”
When they reached the clearing, they stopped and Harrison “stroked” the 13-year-old’s left thigh.
Harrison asked his victim for his Instagram and, when he did not provide it, instead gave him his mobile number.
The frightened child saved the number and sent it to a friend.
Feeling scared, the boy “started to edge away” but Harrison “edged nearer to him”.
Fortunately, at that point, the boy’s friend, who had gone to look for him, found them.
The boy left with his friend and Harrison stayed silent.
When he got home, the child told his mother about what had happened and, a short time later, he received a text from Harrison.
The boy replied: “You were the one who took me down to the woods.”
Harrison, using a “sad face” emoji, responded: “I was confused. Sorry.”
The police were contacted and quickly traced and arrested Harrison.
Under caution, he told the police: “A male approached me at about 9.30pm.
“I was parked up in my car and he started asking how my day has gone and started a conversation.
‘I think it’s a bit of a mistake’
“We chatted for a while, but I was really on edge and anxious, unsure what was going on.
“I was scared he had a knife.
“The male asked me to go to the wooded area and then asked me to touch his legs. I did it.
“I felt very uncomfortable. Then another male appeared and both of them left.
“About half an hour later I got a message from the male asking what I was up to and saying it was the bird I met earlier.
“I told him that I was getting abused online, and he told me he was in the bath.
“I said I was sorry, because I thought I’d done something wrong.
“He said that he was going to block my number, and he did block it. I deleted all of the messages from my phone.
“I went into the wooded area because I knew there would be cameras that would see us from the primary school in case anything happened.”
On being cautioned and charged, Harrison replied: “I think it’s a bit of a mistake.”
Harrison, of Donside Road, Alford, pled guilty to sexually assaulting the child.
Defence agent Liam Mcallister told the court a psychiatric report “more than sets out the vulnerabilities of my client, Mr Harrison, and indeed his own diagnosis and his own mental health issues are explored at length in that”.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston ordered Harrison to be supervised for 18 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for the same period.
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