Ross-shire hotelier jailed for 14 months over sex offences involving teenage girls as court hears of 'fall from grace' of Kyle of Lochalsh proprietor
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A Ross-shire hotelier showered gifts, including sex toys and lingerie, on a teenage girl for over four years in exchange for indecent photos of her.
Andrew Bates, aged 46, also tried to induce the teenager, who called herself "Lucy" on the chat line site, to become sexually involved with him and co-habit as sexual partners.
But at Inverness Sheriff Court, the proprietor of the Tingle Creek Hotel in Kyle of Lochalsh was jailed for 14 months after admitting three charges under the Sexual Offences Act, involving two girls, the other being aged 16 at the time.
He was also placed on the Sex Offender's Register for five years.
Sheriff Robert Frazer was told that Bates used a false name although he admitted he was in his 40s.
The sheriff said that he recognised first offender Bates' "fall from grace" but there was no alternative to custody "due to the length of time it went on, the nature of the images and the deception you carried out on a chat line for children alone.
"You induced vulnerable girls to provide you with photos of a provocative nature. One girl used the materials you bought for her in the photos."
The court heard that the married father met his first victim "Lucy" on a chat line, where she confessed her true age and he indicated he was in his 40s.
Fiscal depute Allison Young said he gave a false name and sent a photo of an obscured face, asking her for nude photographs of her and asking sexualised questions.
Mrs Young added that Bates asked his victims to send him a wish list for sexy underwear and sex toys and spent a considerable amount of money providing them.
He pleaded guilty to coercing "Lucy" into looking at a sexual image and communicating with her indecently between May 10, 2017 and May 9, 2020.
Bates also admitted promising the same girl payment for sending him sexual images and videos between October 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021.
The third charge involved a 16-year-old girl for whom he purchased various gifts, some of a sexual nature, requested photos and videos from her and promised to pay her for them between September 8, 2021 and November 15, 2021.
Mrs Young said this teenager did not send him any photos.
