In 2015, the Offender Database reported that Jason Downie, then 32, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, was sentenced to 38 months in prison with a three-year extended licence. On Thursday, 19 November 2015, Downie was jailed at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for “reprehensible” sexual offences involving two young girls he targeted through social media.
The investigation established that Downie “calculatingly” used Facebook and Xbox Live to befriend children. In September 2012, he met a 13-year-old girl in a car in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, and “sinisterly” told her he would buy her a sweet only if she kissed him. He then jumped into the back seat and sexually assaulted her. The prosecution reported that neighbours heard the girl screaming “stop” and “get off me,” and she reported the attack to Police Scotland the following day.
Predatory Behaviour and Judicial Remarks
Fiscal depute Kelly Mitchell emphasised that Downie’s predatory behaviour continued into 2015 when he targeted another girl via Facebook. He “persistently” sent inappropriate messages, including requests for pictures of the girl in her underwear. He attempted to meet her for a “drive” near Banff, Aberdeenshire, but the girl “bravely” arrived in the company of friends. Downie subsequently sent her abusive messages for wasting his “time and fuel,” which were discovered by the girl’s mother.
Sheriff Annella Cowan described Downie as a “dangerous and manipulative” man. She emphasised that the “gravity” of his “persistent” attempts to seek unlawful sex with children required a significant custodial term followed by “critical” supervision in the community. Downie admitted to the 2012 sexual assault and to travelling with the intention of having unlawful sex in 2015.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his “abhorrent” crimes in Fraserburgh and Banff, Aberdeenshire, Jason Downie was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 38 months in immediate custody.
- Extended Sentence: An additional three years of supervision upon release.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were imposed for life.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Downie is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Police Scotland. His history of “systematic” digital grooming and the “vicious” nature of the physical assault in Fraserburgh means his status remains under “critical” scrutiny.
As a lifetime member of the Sex Offenders Register, Downie must comply with strict notification requirements regarding his location in the Aberdeenshire area. Authorities state that the extended sentence is a “critical” measure to monitor his “reprehensible” digital habits. Any breach of his registration conditions or his supervision terms following his release will result in his immediate return to Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
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