treatment order for english offender at elgin
Youth travelled north for illicit sexual activity
Published:
An Englishman whose “infatuation” with a Moray schoolgirl persuaded him to travel 400 miles to meet her in an Elgin hotel room was ordered at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday to complete a sex offender’s programme.
Manchester plumbing student Casey Codd, 18, struck up a friendship with the 14-year-old in an internet chat room.
Codd, of 7 Raney Avenue, Blakely, Manchester, admitted intending to engage in unlawful sexual activity with the girl at the Premier Inn Hotel in Linkwood Way on August 16.
He also admitted using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards her.
Defence agent Stephen Carty said Codd had saved as much money as he could to come to Moray to spend a week with the girl.
He said: “The situation is that Mr Codd appears to have become infatuated with the complainant which has culminated in him travelling here.
“This sort of conduct is extremely unusual for him. He does not get involved in this sort of behaviour on a regular basis.”
The court heard previously that the police became involved when the girl told a friend, who then told a school teacher, what had happened.
Sheriff Noel McPartlin said he felt it important that Codd should undergo treatment.
Ordering him to complete a community sex offender’s programme as part of a three-year community sentence, Sheriff McPartlin said: “I think it is important that work is done with you so that you will not be involved in this kind of offending in the future.”
