Sex Pest Struck After Bail Warning Ignored

A SEX offender struck again just days after being allowed out on bail by High Court judges despite warnings he posed a danger to the public.

Tarot Scott, 31, targeted a traffic warden and carried out a sex act in front of her shortly after being freed on bail.

Scott had been granted bail at the High Court despite the Crown warning that he posed a danger to the public.

He was allowed back on to the streets despite having carried out three virtually identical offences in two months.

The Crown warned that Scott – who followed lone females – was showing an escalating pattern of offending behaviour. He was initially arrested towards the end of August last year and appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court on 27 August.

Fiscal depute Hannah Kennedy told the court: “The Crown considers that he is a danger to women and children.

“The nature of the charges appears to show an escalating pattern of behaviour. It is in the public interest that he be remanded in custody.”

However, although Sheriff Robert Brodie agreed that the charges appeared to show a pattern of conduct, he still granted bail to Scott. Mrs Kennedy immediately lodged a Crown appeal against the granting of bail and Scott, of Perth, was remanded for three days.

On 30 August he was granted bail by judges at the Court of Appeal and freed. On 20 September he carried out yet another offence.

At Perth Sheriff Court yesterday, Scott was locked up for at least six months on a compulsory hospital order. He admitted breaching the peace in Perth on 5 July by performing a sex act in the presence of a female. He also admitted breaching the peace on 6 August by following a woman from a Perth supermarket through several streets.

On 13 August he broke the peace by performing a sex act in front of a woman who was on her own.

Finally, he admitted that on 20 September he committed an identical offence, also in Perth, while he was out on High Court bail.

A number of other charges, including hiding in bushes to stare at women, taking pictures of them and following children, were dropped by the Crown.

Fiscal depute Nicola Gillespie said: “The nature of the offences is all very similar.

It is described as being persistent in its nature.

“These ladies were quite upset by what they had seen. They had no connection with the accused or with each other. It appears to have been random,” she said.

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “He has no recollection of these matters. He does recall that he was unwell at the time.

“He is taking treatment and is co- operating with the care. By tendering pleas it has perhaps saved the witnesses some upset from coming to court.”

Sheriff Margaret Gimblett said: “It is clear you are not a well person and it seems appropriate to impose a compulsion order to hospital.”

The order will initially run for six months and Scott was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.