Man jailed for football match with girls, 11

A man was jailed for 90 days for playing football with two 11-year-old girls.

Mark Anderson (26) broke a court order which prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with under-age girls.

And on Wednesday Sheriff Kevin Veal said he had no other option but to give him a custodial sentence.

He also put him on the sex offenders register for seven years.

Anderson admitted approaching, speaking and communicating with the two girls, aged 11, at Bruce Crescent, Plean, while subject to section 2 of the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act, which prohibits him from communicating in any way with girls under 18.

Stirling Sheriff Court heard that Anderson, of Tower Place, Clackmannan, had been playing football with friends at 5pm on May 20 when he approached the two girls and asked them to pass him the ball.

Depute fiscal Ann Orr said: “He continued to speak with them and play football with them for about half an hour. This was seen by the mother of one of the children.

“At about 5.30pm the girls told the accused they had to leave as they were going to a youth club. The accused went to his friend’s address.

“Later that evening police were told about the football game and checks on the police national computer revealed the conditions set by a court in Alloa. They attended Bruce Crescent, where he was cautioned and charged. He replied: ‘Aye, it makes me sick. This order is unjust and makes the Nazis looks like liberals’.”

Anderson’s solicitor Martin Morrow said that comment referred to a part of the order which prevented the accused from being on the street while under the influence of alcohol – which had landed him in court for simply walking down the street after having a drink.

He said: “The youngsters were kicking the ball about and he was trying to show them how to bend the ball with his foot.

“There’s no suggestion of any impropriety. Any number of adults were present. He was under the misapprehension that, provided he was supervised, all was well.”

The court heard that the order had been changed to allow Anderson supervised contact – but only with one of his relatives. Mr Morrow said his client had not understood this.

Sheriff Veal said: “The gravity of this offence does have to be marked.

“I hope this experience makes him realise the importance of adhering to this order.”

This order is unjust. It makes the Nazis look like liberals.