A teenage rapist who turned up late at Dundee house parties to prey on vulnerable schoolgirls will be detained for five years.
Jordan Pearson raped two intoxicated 13-year-old girls, targeted after arriving at addresses in the city.
Judge Alison Stirling told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: “Your game plan was to arrive late at parties and see who was young and drunk.”
The judge said there was little interaction with the children before they were taken into a bedroom for sex.
Still denies crimes
The court heard first offender Pearson – now aged 20 – was 17 at the time of the sex crimes.
He had denied a series of charges at an earlier trial but was found guilty of raping the two girls at addresses in Dundee on November 9 2018 and August 17 2019, while they were intoxicated and incapable of giving or withholding consent.
Pearson was also convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, who he tried to kiss at a house in the city on August 17 in 2019.
He had illegal sexual intercourse with another 13-year-old girl in Dundee in 2019.
The court heard Pearson, formerly of Gourdie Road, Dundee, continues to deny responsibility for the offences.
Giving evidence in his own defence, Pearson had claimed he was the victim of “a big set-up” and denied that he had “an unhealthy interest in young girls”.
Custody ‘only appropriate disposal’
Defence counsel John Brannigan said reports prepared on Pearson had concluded he posed a medium or moderate risk of reoffending.
He asked the judge to consider the imposition of a community-based disposal for Pearson but recognised the seriousness of the offences.
The judge noted he had been diagnosed with ADHD and had misused cannabis and alcohol but now abstains.
She added: “To your credit you appear to have a good work ethic and have held down a number of jobs, some of which were well paid.”
The judge said she took into account Pearson’s age at the time of the crimes but added: “Custody is, however, the only appropriate disposal.”
She said the reasons for the sentence included punishment, protection of the public and rehabilitation in custody.
She ordered Pearson to be under supervision for a further three year period.
Pearson was told he would be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.
Read more from the trial here.
