Highland sex offender gets second chance at rehab programme
Police and social workers will closely monitor a sex offender for the next five years to ensure the protection of the public.
Neil Ross (23) was appearing for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after previously admitting having indecent communication with who he thought was a 14 year old girl but was, in fact, an undercover police officer.
It was the second time Ross had committed a sexual offence, and was serving a community payback order at the time imposed as punishment for downloading indecent images of children.
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald decided against jailing Ross, of Heights of Achterneed, Strathpeffer, and instead made him subject to rigorous scrutiny and severe restrictions on his internet use.
He will remain under social work supervision and on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years and will have to take part in a programme designed to rehabilitate sex offenders.
The court noted it was the second time Ross had been placed on a similar programme.
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Sheriff Macdonald told him: "The previous programme obviously didn't work, but I am going to give you another opportunity.
“You are at risk of further offending and because of that I want you closely monitored for the next five years, preventing you from doing a lot of things on the internet and speaking to people who you shouldn't be speaking to.
"This is behaviour you cannot do or you will go to jail, which I am sure you don't want.
“There may be a diagnosis of you in the pipeline but you are a young man with an opportunity to move away from this behaviour to protect the public."
Defence solicitor Marc Dickson told the sheriff his client was likely to be diagnosed with autism, which may have made it difficult for the earlier rehabilitation programme imposed to work.
Ross is banned from carrying out a lot of tasks without the prior permission of his supervising officers.
He is banned from communicating with any child under the age of 18 and having more than one mobile phone or computer whuch he must make available for inspection at all times.
He must provide the necessary passwords for his phone or computer and must not install any software or encryption which may prevent his detection, or use any other internet enabled device.
At an earlier hearing, the court was told how Ross began communicating with the individual he believed to be a 14 year old girl after he set up a profile under the name of Sophie.
When they moved to a more secure site, Ross's behaviour between January 31, 2024 and March 4, 2024, became more sexualised.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told Sheriff Gary Aitken he sent images of a naked penis on four occasions and made a sexual comment.
The prosecutor said the covert officer sent a file to the Child Abuse Unit, and police arrested him.
Ross's mobile phone contained the indecent messages.
