Stirling youth coach in court

A YOUTH development coach at a football club has appeared in court, accused of bombarding four boys, one as young as 11, with sexual internet messages. In the case of three of the boys it is alleged his intention was to humiliate them.

Alexander Robertson, 21, of Scottish League Two side Stirling Albion, is said to have “repeatedly” sent online sexual messages to three of the boys, who were aged 13 to 15 at the time, “for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing, or alarming” his alleged victims.

The messages are said to have been sent on a number of occasions over a period of some three-and-a-half years between August 2013 and February 2017, during which time it is claimed Robertson repeatedly asked two of the teenagers to accompany him on car journeys and asked the third for pictures of his body.

It alleged he also repeatedly asked the fourth boy, then aged 11 to 14, to accompany him on car journeys, again requesting pictures of his body and eventually inducing him to send him pictures of himself “in a state of undress”.

The offences are said to have taken place at Robertson’s home in Bridge of Allan and other locations in Scotland.

Robertson pled not guilty through his solicitor at Falkirk Sheriff Court and spoke only to confirm his name.

Sheriff Craig Caldwell renewed bail and ordered Robertson to reappear at another preliminaryhearing on April 24, when a date may be set for his trial by jury.