Kieran Austin – Earlston

04 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by Author in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders

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June 2016

Scotts View sex offender avoids prison

AN Earlston man who had intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in his car at a beauty spot has avoided a prison sentence

Kieran Austin, 22, pleaded guilty on indictment to having under age sex with the girl at Scott’s View in April, 2014.

But a not guilty plea to having under age sex with the girl’s 13-year-old friend at his home at Fansloanend, was accepted by the Crown.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that Austin, who lost his job in the family coach business after being charged, was 19-years-old at the time of the offence.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Austin befriended the two schoolgirls and they would be driven in his car to Edinburgh to visit fast food outlets.

He explained: “Both girls spent most of the Easter holidays travelling around in his car before dropping them off home.

“On the day of the offence they met up with the accused on a Thursday evening and they travelled around in his car.

“The other friend went home at 9pm leaving the accused with the girl.

“They went to Scott’s View when it would be dark and they began to kiss.

“They then had consensual sex after she removed her clothing and he lay on top of her.”

Mr Fraser said Austin urged the girl not to tell anyone as he knew what age she was and she was very co-operative with him.

The court heard however that the girl did tell her friend they had unprotected sex and there was a risk of a sexually transmitted disease involved.

As a result the girl went to a clinic ‘and it came out what had happened and the accused was traced’.

Austin’s lawyer said: “It his his position that he was aware that she was younger than him and was aware she was at school but did not bother to find out what age she was. He fully accepts she was 14.”

She added there was no suggestion of force or persuasion and the sex had been entirely consensual with the girl.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was a serious matter but said Austin had taken responsibility for his offending.

He imposed a community pay back order with 30 months supervision and told him to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Austin was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for 30 months.

May 2016

Earlston man admits sex with 14-year-old

AN Earlston man who had intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in his car at a Borders beauty spot has been placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.

Kieran Austin pleaded guilty on indictment to having under age sex with the girl at Scott’s View in April, 2014.

But a not guilty plea to having under age sex with the girl’s 13-year-old friend at his home at Fansloanend was accepted by the Crown.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that 21-year-old Austin, who is employed in the family’s coach hire business, was 19 years old at the time of the offence.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Austin befriended the two schoolgirls and they would be driven in his car to Edinburgh to visit fast food outlets.

He explained: “Both girls spent most of the Easter holidays travelling around in his car before dropping them off home.

“On the day of the offence they met up with the accused on a Thursday evening and they travelled around in his car.

“The other friend went home at 9pm leaving the accused with the girl.

“They went to Scott’s View when it would be dark and they began to kiss.

“They then had consensual sex after she removed her clothing and he lay on top of her.”

Mr Fraser said Austin urged the girl not to tell anyone as he knew what age she was and she was very co-operative with him.

The court heard however that the girl did tell her friend they had unprotected sex and there was a risk of a sexually transmitted disease.

As a result the girl went to a clinic “and it came out what had happened and the accused was traced”.

Mr Fraser went on: “He now accepts he had sex with her. He did make no comment to the police at the time.”

Defence lawyer Greg McDonnel accepted background reports were inevitable and said he would await sentencing before addressing the sheriff.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until June 13 for the production of a Criminal Justice Social Work Report and a Reistrction of Liberty Assessment.

He also said Austin would be subject to notification for the Sex Offender’s Register – the length of which will be determined on June 13.

Mark Ross – St Abbs

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by Author in Berwickshire

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December 2015

Pervert found with indecent images of children aged between eight and 12

A man found with extreme pornography on his computer has been placed on the sex offenders register for three years.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard that 67 videos were found on Mark Ross’s laptop following a police raid at a house in Creel Court, St Abbs.

They predominantly featured boys aged between eight and 12.

Ross, 49, from Gateshead, admitted possession of indecent “pseudo photographs” of children between November 2010 and December 2013.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the videos had been found after police received information that someone had been accessing images of child abuse through the internet.

The court was told that Ross was a full-time carer for his mother and his lawyer Ross Dow added that his client had been fully co-operative with the police.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said: “These are not victimless crimes.

“But I do detect a significant degree of shame about your involvement.”

Ross was also given a three-year community pay back order involving work with a Northumberland sex offenders programme.

Vjaceslavs Poplavskis – Eyemouth/Tweedbank

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Author in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders

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October 2014

Tweedbank man carried out sex act in front of girl, 13

A 30-YEAR-OLD man who exposed himself and carried out a sex act in front of three teenage girls at the seafront in Eyemouth has been put on the Sex Offenders Register.

Vjaceslavs Poplavskis – who used to live in High Street, Eyemouth, but is now residing at Carlin Court in Tweedbank – was said to be experiencing marital difficulties and was drunk when he carried out the offence last October.

Duns Sheriff Court was told one of the girls was aged just 13 and two were 14.

The offence did not come to light until one of the girls told a youth worker at her secondary school. Defence lawyer Rory Bannerman said the first offender accepted responsibility for his conduct but denied any attraction towards younger girls.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond deferred sentence until December 3 for background reports and ordered the name of Poplavskis be put on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Kenneth MacKenzie – Chirnside

28 Thursday Aug 2014

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October 2014

30-YEAR-OLD man who downloaded indecent images of children placed on Sex Offender’s Register for three years

Police raided Kenneth MacKenzie’s home address near Chirnside after being alerted that someone in the house, on three separate occasions, had accessed the internet for indecent images of children.

Prosescutor Tessa Bradley told Selkirk Sheriff Court that on the hard drive eight indecent images were recovered – one at level two, three at level three and four at level four.

Level four is the second most serious level featuring penetrative sexual activity involving a child, or children and adults.

She said the search engine had the search term phrases usually associated with indecent images of children.

Ms Bradley said on the laptop 357 indecent images were found, the vast majority being at level one which was the least serious.

There was one at level two and two at level four. MacKenzie was also given a three year community pay back order.

August 2014

Pervert admits downloading indecent photos of children

A 30-year-old man who admitted downloading indecent images of children was placed on the Sex Offenders Register at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday.

Police raided Kenneth MacKenzie’s home near Chirnside in Berwickshire after being alerted that someone in the house using the internet on three separate occasions had involved indecent images of youngsters.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said: “Officers attended at the address with a warrant. The accused was found in a bedroom asleep. The house was searched and in the course of that search a laptop and a hard drive were seized.

“They belonged to the accused and the items were examined and a number of indecent images were recovered.”

Ms Bradley explained that on the hard drive eight indecent images were recovered – one at level two, three at level three and four at level four. She said the search engine had the search term phrases usually associated with indecent images of children.

Ms Bradley said on the laptop 357 indecent images were found – the vast majority being at level one, which was the least serious. There was one at level two and two at level four.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until October 20 for a Criminal Justice Social Work Report to be produced and ordered MacKenzie’s name be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Robert Morton – Chirnside/Skelmersdale

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Author in Berwickshire, Lancashire

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November 2012

Man jailed for sex attacks on three youngsters in town 30 years ago

A FORMER Skelmersdale man was jailed for 16 years today for serious sexual attacks on three young girls more than 30 years ago.

Ex-RAF engineer Robert Morton denied all the allegations against him, but a jury convicted him of 17 offences including repeatedly raping one of the youngsters beginning when she was just four-years-old.

A judge told 54-year-old Morton that the offences “showed a picture of quite exceptional depravity.”

Judge Brian Lewis told Morton, who showed no emotion, that his denials meant that his victims had the ordeal of having to give evidence in a courtroom full of strangers only to be accused of lying.

“The blight you imposed on their childhood was still plain to see as they gave their evidence decades later,” he said.

Morton, of Chirnside, Duns, Berwickshire, had been found guilty of seven specimen rape offences ending when the girl was 12; eight offences of indecent assault and gross indecency on another girl when she was aged 11 – 13 and two specific offences of indecently assaulting the other girl when she was aged between nine and 12.

The offences, which occurred in Skelmersdale, came to light in April this year when one of his victims revealed some details during a counselling session. The police were notified and inquiries led to the other victims being traced.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that in the intervening years Morton had had an unblemished career with the RAF as an electrical engineer and later with BAE Systems in Lancashire.

Gerald Jones, defending, said that some of the offences could be described as Morton’s “teenage sexual experimentation” and the victims had not been threatened.

He is a father of two sons and has no previous convictions.

Morton was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

June 2016

Scotts View sex offender avoids prison

AN Earlston man who had intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in his car at a beauty spot has avoided a prison sentence

Kieran Austin, 22, pleaded guilty on indictment to having under age sex with the girl at Scott’s View in April, 2014.

But a not guilty plea to having under age sex with the girl’s 13-year-old friend at his home at Fansloanend, was accepted by the Crown.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that Austin, who lost his job in the family coach business after being charged, was 19-years-old at the time of the offence.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Austin befriended the two schoolgirls and they would be driven in his car to Edinburgh to visit fast food outlets.

He explained: “Both girls spent most of the Easter holidays travelling around in his car before dropping them off home.

“On the day of the offence they met up with the accused on a Thursday evening and they travelled around in his car.

“The other friend went home at 9pm leaving the accused with the girl.

“They went to Scott’s View when it would be dark and they began to kiss.

“They then had consensual sex after she removed her clothing and he lay on top of her.”

Mr Fraser said Austin urged the girl not to tell anyone as he knew what age she was and she was very co-operative with him.

The court heard however that the girl did tell her friend they had unprotected sex and there was a risk of a sexually transmitted disease involved.

As a result the girl went to a clinic ‘and it came out what had happened and the accused was traced’.

Austin’s lawyer said: “It his his position that he was aware that she was younger than him and was aware she was at school but did not bother to find out what age she was. He fully accepts she was 14.”

She added there was no suggestion of force or persuasion and the sex had been entirely consensual with the girl.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was a serious matter but said Austin had taken responsibility for his offending.

He imposed a community pay back order with 30 months supervision and told him to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

Austin was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for 30 months.

May 2016

Earlston man admits sex with 14-year-old

AN Earlston man who had intercourse with a 14-year-old girl in his car at a Borders beauty spot has been placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.

Kieran Austin pleaded guilty on indictment to having under age sex with the girl at Scott’s View in April, 2014.

But a not guilty plea to having under age sex with the girl’s 13-year-old friend at his home at Fansloanend was accepted by the Crown.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told that 21-year-old Austin, who is employed in the family’s coach hire business, was 19 years old at the time of the offence.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Austin befriended the two schoolgirls and they would be driven in his car to Edinburgh to visit fast food outlets.

He explained: “Both girls spent most of the Easter holidays travelling around in his car before dropping them off home.

“On the day of the offence they met up with the accused on a Thursday evening and they travelled around in his car.

“The other friend went home at 9pm leaving the accused with the girl.

“They went to Scott’s View when it would be dark and they began to kiss.

“They then had consensual sex after she removed her clothing and he lay on top of her.”

Mr Fraser said Austin urged the girl not to tell anyone as he knew what age she was and she was very co-operative with him.

The court heard however that the girl did tell her friend they had unprotected sex and there was a risk of a sexually transmitted disease.

As a result the girl went to a clinic “and it came out what had happened and the accused was traced”.

Mr Fraser went on: “He now accepts he had sex with her. He did make no comment to the police at the time.”

Defence lawyer Greg McDonnel accepted background reports were inevitable and said he would await sentencing before addressing the sheriff.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until June 13 for the production of a Criminal Justice Social Work Report and a Reistrction of Liberty Assessment.

He also said Austin would be subject to notification for the Sex Offender’s Register – the length of which will be determined on June 13.

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December 2015

Pervert found with indecent images of children aged between eight and 12

A man found with extreme pornography on his computer has been placed on the sex offenders register for three years.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard that 67 videos were found on Mark Ross’s laptop following a police raid at a house in Creel Court, St Abbs.

They predominantly featured boys aged between eight and 12.

Ross, 49, from Gateshead, admitted possession of indecent “pseudo photographs” of children between November 2010 and December 2013.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the videos had been found after police received information that someone had been accessing images of child abuse through the internet.

The court was told that Ross was a full-time carer for his mother and his lawyer Ross Dow added that his client had been fully co-operative with the police.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said: “These are not victimless crimes.

“But I do detect a significant degree of shame about your involvement.”

Ross was also given a three-year community pay back order involving work with a Northumberland sex offenders programme.

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October 2014

Tweedbank man carried out sex act in front of girl, 13

A 30-YEAR-OLD man who exposed himself and carried out a sex act in front of three teenage girls at the seafront in Eyemouth has been put on the Sex Offenders Register.

Vjaceslavs Poplavskis – who used to live in High Street, Eyemouth, but is now residing at Carlin Court in Tweedbank – was said to be experiencing marital difficulties and was drunk when he carried out the offence last October.

Duns Sheriff Court was told one of the girls was aged just 13 and two were 14.

The offence did not come to light until one of the girls told a youth worker at her secondary school. Defence lawyer Rory Bannerman said the first offender accepted responsibility for his conduct but denied any attraction towards younger girls.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond deferred sentence until December 3 for background reports and ordered the name of Poplavskis be put on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

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October 2014

30-YEAR-OLD man who downloaded indecent images of children placed on Sex Offender’s Register for three years

Police raided Kenneth MacKenzie’s home address near Chirnside after being alerted that someone in the house, on three separate occasions, had accessed the internet for indecent images of children.

Prosescutor Tessa Bradley told Selkirk Sheriff Court that on the hard drive eight indecent images were recovered – one at level two, three at level three and four at level four.

Level four is the second most serious level featuring penetrative sexual activity involving a child, or children and adults.

She said the search engine had the search term phrases usually associated with indecent images of children.

Ms Bradley said on the laptop 357 indecent images were found, the vast majority being at level one which was the least serious.

There was one at level two and two at level four. MacKenzie was also given a three year community pay back order.

August 2014

Pervert admits downloading indecent photos of children

A 30-year-old man who admitted downloading indecent images of children was placed on the Sex Offenders Register at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday.

Police raided Kenneth MacKenzie’s home near Chirnside in Berwickshire after being alerted that someone in the house using the internet on three separate occasions had involved indecent images of youngsters.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said: “Officers attended at the address with a warrant. The accused was found in a bedroom asleep. The house was searched and in the course of that search a laptop and a hard drive were seized.

“They belonged to the accused and the items were examined and a number of indecent images were recovered.”

Ms Bradley explained that on the hard drive eight indecent images were recovered – one at level two, three at level three and four at level four. She said the search engine had the search term phrases usually associated with indecent images of children.

Ms Bradley said on the laptop 357 indecent images were found – the vast majority being at level one, which was the least serious. There was one at level two and two at level four.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until October 20 for a Criminal Justice Social Work Report to be produced and ordered MacKenzie’s name be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.