Threatened to kill children

Callum Scott (25), of South Street, Bo’ness, followed the youngsters to woods near Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway Station and touched a 13-year-old girl on the bottom, sneaked up behind another schoolgirl, aged 14, and slid his hands creepily around her waist.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, Scott admitted threatening behaviour and sexually assaulting the girls on October 27. The prosecution accepted Scott’s plea of not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting three more children in the group – by touching a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl on the buttocks and putting his hand inside a 13-year-old girl’s waistband.

Procurator fiscal depute Ruaraidh Ferguson said: “The children came to the conclusion he was drunk because they observed him to be slurring his words and staggering while he was walking. Initially his behaviour didn’t alarm any of the children.

“However, after a short time one of the children stood up and walked past him. As she did so he raised his right hand and touched her on the buttocks over her clothing.”

He said Scott then approached the slightly-older girl “as if to hug her from behind, and in doing so placed his arms round her”.

One of the children then phoned her older brother, who arrived to help, accompanied by a friend. They found one of the girls assaulted by Scott was “distressed and upset” and were told what had happened.

Mr Ferguson said: “The accused then threatened to kill the children should they report the matter to the police.”

Scott was later arrested and claimed he was being “set up” and “it didn’t happen”, admitting he had consumed half a bottle of Buckfast before the incident.

Sheriff Derek Livingston continued the case until January 18 for reports and a risk assessment to be carried out. Scott was remanded in custody.