A pervert made unsettling comments to a pre-teen girl – then sexually assaulted her in a swimming pool in Aberdeen while laughing.
Mehrdad Esmaeili made his 12-year-old victim feel so uncomfortable at Northfield Swimming Pool in Aberdeen she reported him to a lifeguard.
But the 35-yer-old failed to change his behaviour and, on another occasion, swam up to the girl.
His victim deliberately moved to a different part of the pool to avoid him.
But Esmaeili swam over to her again and touched her on the bottom before swimming away laughing.
Esmaeili had already pled guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of sexual assault over the incident, which happened on October 25 2023.
And he yesterday appeared back in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced.
Esmaeili’s lawyer told the court his client was an “intelligent, highly educated man”.
He explained that this was Esmaeli’s first offence and that he was an asylum seeker who fled Iran.
The solicitor asked the court to impose a community payback order.
He argued such an order would require Esmaeili to open up more and engage with social workers about what led to the offence.
Esmaeili’s lawyer told the court that his client had worked as a piano teacher for young adults and children – but cannot do that now due this offence.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was previously taken through the details of the incident at an earlier hearing when Esmaeili first pled guilty.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston, addressing Esmaeili directly, said: “You pled guilty on the morning of the trial to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl by touching her on the buttocks while swimming in a communal swimming pool.
“You swam very close to her and her friend.
“Despite moving herself away from you, you again approached her and touched her.
“Despite having no previous convictions, the seriousness of the offence is such that it easily reaches the custodial threshold.
“This was not, as you have described to the social work department, inadvertent contact with the complainer.
“It’s obvious you noticed the complainer and intentionally sought her out.
“She tried to move away from you and you continued to pursue her before touching her in the manner libelled.
“You were 34 years old on the date of the offence and you’re an educated, intelligent man.
“The complainer, by contrast, was 12 years old.
“There’s a high level of culpability in this case.
“In addition, you have caused harm to this complainer who has been left feeling scared and nervous.
“You have taken little responsibility for the commission of the offence and shown limited insight.
“Your position is that this was inadvertent contact.
“I do not accept that, given the terms of the Crown narrative.
“While the report notes your general risk of reoffending is low, you are assessed as being of high risk of committing a further sexual offence.”
Sheriff Johnston ordered Esmaeili, of Galloway Street, Glasgow, to be jailed for eight months.
She placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
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