An Aberdeen stripper has been placed on the sex offenders register after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a hen party performance.
Stuart Kennedy, who also goes by the stage name Sergeant Eros, sat on one woman’s lap and repeatedly tried to embrace her, and rubbed his body against a second.
The 40-year-old, who was described as “dismissive and arrogant” by fiscal depute Andrew McMann, did so despite the women’s “clear verbal and physical objections”.
Kennedy, who backed one of his victims into a corner, had denied the charges against him but was convicted following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
‘They did not wish to be involved in your performance’
Despite now being a registered sex offender, Kennedy’s solicitor and social workers allowed him to leave the court via a side exit and flee – avoiding The Press & Journal’s cameras.
Kennedy, of Don Street, Aberdeen, was found guilty of two charges of sexual assault at The Cellar on Rosemount Viaduct in May 2022.
It comes after Kennedy, had previously been arrested dozens of times for alleged offences linked to his performances, including allegedly impersonating a police officer.
He has also been accused of possession of an offensive weapon – his truncheon and a fake CS spray – and for allegedly fitting a flashing light to his car.
Sentencing Kennedy, Sheriff Andrew Miller emphasised that the law states “that no one should be subjected to unwanted sexual activity” and that this applied just as much to a strip performance.
He told Kennedy: “On the evening of May 14 2022 you performed as a stripper at a social function, in the course of a business which you have operated for a number of years, having been booked to give that performance by the organiser of the function.
‘No one should be subjected to unwanted sexual activity’
“In the course of your performance, you had physical contact of a sexual nature with two women who had attended the function, without their consent, in circumstances which amounted to the crime of sexual assault.
“It was clear to me from the evidence led at trial that both of the complainers made it clear prior to you approaching and having physical contact with them in the course of your performance, that they did not want to have any such contact with you and that they did not wish to be involved in your performance.
“It appeared to me that, when they gave their evidence at your trial on December 5, both of the complainers remained troubled by these events, and in particular by your behaviour in approaching and having physical contact of a sexual nature with them despite the steps they had taken to indicate that they did not consent to that.”
Addressing the law surrounding such conduct, Sheriff Miller stated: “In relation to sexual behaviour generally, the law aims to protect a person’s bodily privacy and to ensure that every person has a right to sexual autonomy, in other words the right to choose what happens to their body.
“The law is that no one should be subjected to unwanted sexual activity.
“There must be consent.
“A person must be in a position to make a choice.
“This applies to an event of the kind with which this case is concerned, as much as it does to any other situation.
“Thus, members of the audience have the right to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to consent to being involved in a performance such as yours, or to having physical contact of a sexual nature with a performer such as you.
‘It’s to Kennedy’s credit there’s no suggestion of blaming complainers’
“The mere fact that you were hired to put on such a performance did not overcome the rights of audience members to make these decisions for themselves.”
The sheriff continued: “You appear to have reflected on these events and demonstrated some insight into the important issues with regard to consent which were raised by the evidence led at your trial, which you will need to address if you are to continue in this line of work, which I understand that you intend to do.”
In his closing statement during the trial, fiscal depute Andrew McMann said: “It is my position, and I echo that of the complainers, that no person, including the accused, can overcome a female’s sexual autonomy and right to consent or withdraw consent just because he is putting on a performance as a stripper.
“Nor does the law on consent stop being law just because a person hiding behind the guise of committing criminal acts during a hired performance.”
Sheriff Miller ordered Kennedy to be supervised for 12 months and made him subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for the same period.
Defence agent Callum Anderson, referring to a court-ordered social work report, had said: “It’s an extremely positive report in my view.”
Sheriff Miller agreed: “Yes, the level of awareness and perhaps insight on the part of Mr Kennedy does emerge having read the report.”
Mr Anderson went on: “I think it’s to Mr Kennedy’s credit there’s no suggestion of blaming the complainers, for example.”
He added that the conviction would have “implications for Mr Kennedy moving forward”.
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