Perv army cadet Sgt filmed vile sex acts Taped mobile phone to wall of gents toilet
A depraved army cadet sergeant has been exposed as a child abuser who filmed himself carrying out vile sex acts with a young boy.
Twisted Craig Bannatyne, 22, was snared after a 15-year-old boy found his mobile phone taped to the wall of a gents toilet in a cadet hall.
It was later discovered the pervert had been trying to secretly record young recruits at the urinals by setting the iPhone to record video images.
Fiscal depute Callum Forsyth told Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday how Bannatyne raised suspicions when he was confronted by an army cadet instructor at the hall in Strathaven.
Mr Forsyth said: “The accused entered the toilet and grabbed the phone shouting, ‘ Whose phone is this, who left that phone in the toilet?’.”
The court heard how Bannatyne’s behaviour was “somewhat strange” throughout the rest of the evening.
The matter was reported to the commander who alerted the police.
A probe was launched and on January 30, last year, officers raided his Motherwell home where they seized a laptop from his bedroom containing 21 indecent images of children.
The vile child sex abuse pictures were category A level – the most extreme – and showed adults sexually children as young as six months.
Following further forensic investigation of his computer, police discovered sickening footage of Bannantyne forcing a boy to perform sex acts on him.
He was taken to Coatbridge Police Office where he was questioned.
Bannatyne, of Linksview Road, Jerviston, admitted the laptop was his and indecent images of children were there.
Mr Forsyth added: “He began asking police what the next stage of the procedure was before he broke down and revealed the identity of the victim of his sexual assault.”
Shamed Bannatyne admitted assaulting the boy and possession of illegal images of children.
He went on to plead guilty to bombarding his young victim with text messages between June 18, 2014 and July 19, 2015.
Mr Forsyth said: “A total of 4234 messages were discovered between the accused and the victim.”
The court heard how Bannatyne heaped praise on the boy, giving him compliments and telling him how proud he made him. But he became agitated when the attention was not reciprocated.
As time went on the conversation turned more personal with the sergeant asking the boy what his penis size was and if he ever measured it, then telling him to do so.
He said: “I suggest you do do it, you’ll be shocked what you find out. Better facing reality now than in a few years time when a girl sees it haha.”
In another text Bannatyne warned his victim: “Don’t mention our conversation.”
The court was told that during the victim’s police interview, the boy became “greatly distressed” and was not able to fully describe the offence.
Mr Forsyth added: “It was only as a result of the recording that the full extent of the abuse was found.”
Sheriff Ray Small granted Bannatyne bail and deferred sentence until April 27 calling for background reports including an extended risk assessment.
He said: “Your have pled guilty to a number of charges, some of which are of a particularly serious and unpleasant nature.”
Bannatyne was placed on the sex offender’s register meantime.