Caithness man jailed at Wick Sheriff Court for sex with under-age teen
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A WICK man who had sex with an under-age girl will today spend the festive season behind bars.
John Daniel Begg was jailed for a year and will remain in prison for a further four months imposed for an additional, unrelated offence.
The 32-year-old previously pleaded guilty to the sex indictment at Wick Sheriff Court and admitted a record of offending.
Sheriff Leslie Foulis was told today that the accused's home in Macrae Street, Wick, had become something of an open house, meeting place, or den for people who would often drop-in uninvited. Begg "didn't have the capacity" to turn them away or tell them to leave.
Fiscal David Barclay said that the 15-year-old had engaged in consentual intercourse at Begg's home. Also present was a 14-year-old. The two girls would drop in from time-to-time.
The fiscal revealed that the matter had not been reported to the police by the 15-year-old but by someone else who had witnessed sex having taken place, during November 2020 and had told a social worker, sometime later.
When interviewed by the police, Begg initially denied having had sex with the 15-year-old but then stated that intercourse had in fact taken place and that it had been consentual.
Mr Barclay continued: "The accused said he believed the girl had gone to school with his 18-year-old brother and had not been clear of her age."
Turning to the additional, unrelated charge, the fiscal said that Begg who was subject to a 7am-7pm curfew, refused to answer his front door to police officers checking whether he was adhering to it. He admitted the breach which occurred on September 28, this year.
Fiona MacDonald described Begg as intelligent but "having no common sense" and was too trusting with people.
The solicitor said: "He lives a very isolated life, struggles with anxiety and doesn't go out much. He has taken steps to address his problems and social workers meet him at his house rather than him going to their office. Begg has started to engage with them and his GP."
She referred to difficulties Begg had experienced during his upbringing by his parents and had earlier in the year taken steps to address his drinking.
Miss MacDonald continued: "Begg has done his best to change his ways, in the last few years" and added that he was willing to co-operate with a rehabilitation programme recommended in a background report.
Sheriff Foulis commented on the accused's 'significant' record of offending and said that a prison sentence was appropriate.
The sheriff jailed Begg for a year in respect of the underage sex charge and added a four-month custodial sentence for the breach of the 7am-7pm curfew. The four months in prison for the curfew breach was then reduced to two months to account for the time the accused had already spent on remand, so his total jail term will be 14 months.
Begg will be under supervision after he leaves prison and will be subject to the "Moving Forward, Making Changes Programme".
In addition, the accused has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
