Man, 27, had sex in car with 15-year-old schoolgirl

Published on 01/03/2013 15:49

A 27-YEAR-OLD man had sex in a car with a 15-year-old schoolgirl he met in a pub.

But it was only after the encounter that Sean Potter realised the girl was under-age, Livingston Sheriff Court was told.

Potter, of Armadale, West Lothian, today pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a girl under the age of 16.

He admitted having intercourse with the girl – who can’t be named for legal reasons – in a car at the Pyramids Business Park, near Bathgate, West Lothian, on August 17, 2011.

Prosecutor Jim Robertson said the girl’s mother found out and an allegation of rape was made against the accused.

He said: “I think the phrase boyfriend and girlfriend is correct here in that they were seeing each other and texting each other during the month of July.

“This resulted in them meeting on August 17 and sexual intercourse taking place.”

He added: “The text messages shown were quite graphic in their content about the behaviour they were going to get up to.

“When police told him the girl was 15 years of age he seemed surprised by that.”

Defence solicitor Iain Smith said Potter had been left “shocked” by the situation and believed the girl was “of age because they met in a pub”.

Sheriff Graeme Warner told Potter his name would be added to the Sex Offenders Register, but deferred sentence for six weeks.