Forfar man banned from going outside Angus after arranging to meet 13-year-old Borders girl


An Angus pervert who travelled to the Scottish Borders in a plan to meet up with a 13-year-old girl has had his name added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.

Stewart Samson must also get permission from supervising officers if he wants to travel outside Angus after being placed on a Community Payback Order for the offence.

The 49-year-old father met the girl through a mobile phone app and started sending her messages in which he expressed a sexual interest in her.

Selkirk Sheriff Court heard how the girl initially told Samson she was 16 but even after suspecting she was younger, he made arrangements to meet her.

Samson, of Sir James Duncan Garden, Forfar pled guilty to a charge of having communicated with a girl under the age of 16, making arrangements to meet her intending to engage in unlawful sexual activity and attempting to meet her.

The court was told the girl was 13 years old at the time of the offence last November and that she was young-looking for her age and extremely shy.

Samson connected with her through the Say Hi mobile phone app and during chats, the girl told him she had a birthday coming up.

He suspected then she may be have been 15, but told her he would travel to meet her and would only go as far as a “kiss”.

Samson was spotted on CCTV in Galashiels and Selkirk but they did not meet.
He was caught when the 13-year-old’s mother contacted police after examining her daughter’s phone and finding their conversations.

Police went to Samson’s home in Forfar in January and on his way to police HQ in Dundee, told officers: “It’s a load of rubbish. She said she was 16.”

When charged, the accused replied: “I was never going to have sex with her”.

In one early morning message Samson wrote: “It is not going to stop me coming down on Saturday but if you are only 16 on your birthday it is going no further than a kiss lol xxx.”

The court heard Samson was a first offender who had a good work record but had lost his job as a result of the offence.

Sheriff David Clapham ordered Samson to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work under the three-year Community Payback Order.
Samson was also banned from having any unsupervised contact with under-18s and will take part in the Tay Project for sex offenders.
December 2018
48-year-old travelled to Galashiels to hook up with 13-year-old girl
A father aged 48 who sent messages to a 13-year-old girl arranging to meet for unlawful sexual activity has had his name placed on the Sex Offenders Register at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Stewart Samson made arrangements to travel more than 100 miles to meet the schoolgirl knowing she was under 16 years of age.

He was also given a three year Community Payback Order involving supervision and unpaid work of 120 hours.

Samson – who has a partner and a nine-year-old daughter – is also banned from having unsupervised contact with children 18 and must get permission of his supervising officer if he wants to travel outwith his home county of Angus.

The court heard how Samson connected with the girl on social media and she initially said she was 16 years old and he soon made it clear his interest in her was a sexual one.

He even travelled more than 100 miles from his home in Forfar to the Borders and was spotted in various locations in Galashiels and Selkirk, but they did not meet.

The girl then told Samson, now 49, she had a birthday coming up and he suspected then she may be only 15 and under age – but still told her that he would travel to meet her and would only go as far as a “kiss”.

He was caught when the 13-year-old’s mother went through her phone and found their conversations and contacted the police.

Samson pleaded guilty to a charge of having communicated with a girl under the age of 16, making arrangements to meet her intending in engaging in unlawful sexual activity and did attempt to meet her.

He admitted contravening section one of the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences(Scotland) Act 2005 which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison.

The court was told that the girl was 13 years old at the time of the offence last November and that she was young looking for her age and extremely shy.

Police officers attended at Samson’s home in Sir James Duncan Gardens in Forfar on January 4 and he was taken to police headquarters in Dundee.
Sheriff David Clapham said it was a serious offence but took into account the time Stewart will be committed to attending supervised meetings of the Tay Project by restricting the number of unpaid work hours to 120.

Stewart’s name will be on the Sex Offenders Register for three years