In 2021, the Offender Database reported that Barry Stewart, then 39, of Nigg Kirk Road, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Stewart, a vile and predatory individual, admitted to a serious sexual assault on a 16-year-old boy. The court heard that Barry Stewart exploited the child’s vulnerability while he slept at a residential address in Aberdeen, carrying out a sickening and violent breach of safety.
The investigation by Police Scotland revealed that Stewart had spent the evening grooming the boy, asking intrusive questions about his sexuality and whether he had ever had sex with a male. When the teenager eventually fell asleep on a sofa, he awoke to find Stewart performing a vile sex act on him. As the boy desperately tried to escape, Stewart grabbed his clothing and sexually assaulted him again. The teenager was so horrified by the attack that he suffered a panic attack in a bathroom, stating he could not breathe, before fleeing to tell his mother.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution detailed how Barry Stewart initially denied the horrendous assault during police interviews, only pleading guilty when confronted with forensic evidence. His defence agent claimed that Stewart had been “drinking heavily” and had no recollection of the events, a deplorable excuse that the court rejected as a justification for the “significant psychological damage” caused. Stewart even callously told the boy after the attack that it was his “fault,” a vile attempt at victim-blaming.
As a result of his conviction for this serious sexual crime, Barry Stewart was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years. Sheriff Ian Wallace emphasised that the predatory nature of the offence, targeting a sleeping victim, warranted an immediate custodial sentence. Stewart is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Police Scotland, remaining under intensive supervision to protect the public. Any further violent behaviour or breach of his registration requirements in Aberdeen, Nigg, or elsewhere in Aberdeenshire will result in his immediate arrest and return to prison.
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