Man flashed girls while out on bail

A MAN of 62 carried out a sex act in a graveyard after following young girls and engaging in sexual talk.

Stephen Bell was on bail having been jailed for sex offences.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard he broke off a journey to his partner’s home to drive to a Dundee park and flash at two girls, aged eight and 10.

Bell, a prisoner at Perth, admitted making sexual remarks to girls in the Mill o’ Mains playpark on April 29 last year.

He also admitted carrying out a sex act while staring at them.

Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court: “He has previous convictions involving indecency.

“He is managed as a high risk sex offender by the unit in Aberdeen.

“At the time of this he was on bail with special conditions not to have contact with any child under 16.

Mr Sweeney said that on April 29 2021 the girls saw a male staring at them with his private parts exposed. He said the man walked over with his privates still exposed and started speaking to them.

“He was only a few feet away,” said Mr Sweeney, adding that the man had his private parts exposed the entire time.

Mr Sweeney told the court Bell asked the girls: “Do you know any good hiding places?

“Have you ever had sex?

“I’m still waiting on my girlfriend to have sex with me.”

Mr Sweeney said: “The girls walked away from him and the male followed.”

The girls eventually ran away and told a parent.

Police traced Bell and he was found to have more than 350 abuse images on his phone – some featuring babies.

He admitted having child abuse material in Peterculter and Alloa between January 1 2020 and May 1 2021 and carrying out a sex act in front of two other young girls in Aberdeen between September 1 2020 and February 28 2021.

In the Aberdeen incident, Bell approached girls aged 11 and spoke to them about the weather before wandering into a nearby graveyard.

“They went to see what he was doing,” Mr Sweeney said.

The fiscal said Bell was sitting on a gravestone with his trousers down at his knees and was carrying out a sex act while looking at his phone.

Bell’s lawyer said his client expected to be jailed and he was remanded in custody by Sheriff Alistair Carmichael pending reports.

Stephen Bell