A man gave an underage teen girl drink and drugs and choked her during illegal sex, a court has heard.
Benjamin Lewis, 28, was living and working in the Kyle of Lochalsh area when he ignored a warning from the girl’s father about her age and pursued the illegal relationship.
But when he made plans to run away with the schoolgirl and she failed to meet up, he ended the relationship, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Lewis, a bar worker, admitted intercourse and sexual activity with an older child, as well as a charge of breaching his bail conditions by failing to appear at an earlier hearing. Despite the girl’s age, he was not charged with rape.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood told the court that Lewis and the girl, who was over 13 but under 16 at the time, were introduced in September of 2019 and began messaging each other on social media before the ‘relationship’ progressed.
Father’s ‘friendly reminder’
She said that the teenager’s father had become concerned when he noticed a “dramatic change in her behaviour” and later began to suspect Lewis could be involved.
Ms Hood said that prompted him to give Lewis a “friendly reminder” about his daughter’s age, telling him “he did not want to see the accused getting himself in trouble”.
However, the family’s fears were confirmed when they were sent screenshots of a chat between Lewis and a mutual friend.
In the messages, Lewis conceded he was aware of “the age” and said: “I love her, it is hard”. A second screenshot showed an image of the girl under a duvet.
The teenager was interviewed by police and social workers and admitted to the relationship.
The fiscal depute said: “She confirmed they spent a lot of time together, during which they consumed drugs and alcohol the accused had obtained.”
The girl went on to describe having sexual intercourse with the accused on a “nightly basis”.
“During this, he would place his hands around her neck and apply pressure to the neck area,” Ms Hood said.
Pair planned to ‘run away together’
The girl told officers that she and the accused had made plans “to run away together” but that she had failed to meet him to do this and he had ended their relationship as a result.
Sheriff Robert Frazer called for a criminal justice social work reports and deferred sentence until next month.
Solicitor David Paterson, for Lewis, reserved his comments in mitigation for the sentencing hearing.
Lewis, now of Oxford Street, Maerdy, Wales, was placed on the sex offenders register with immediate effect, the eventual length of registration to be determined at sentencing.
