A Glenrothes sex offender was told his “deviant” sexual interests are legal – so long as he does not act on them.
Richard Heatherill was jailed for a catalogue of offending against multiple teenage girls.
The 24-year-old’s offending culminated in having sex with one of them before she turned 16.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court he turned to his weeping mother and mouthed “I love you” as he was jailed.
‘Underage sex’ was consenting but illegal
Jonathan Crow KC, defending, said his client’s offending occurred when he was 19 or 20 years old.
“These offences are serious, there’s no escaping that,” he said.
“The complainer was some age short of her 16th birthday and whilst consenting, he committed the offence of what is sometimes referred to as ‘underage sex’.
“He accepts full responsibility for these offences.”
It’s not an offence to have these issues and its not an offence to have these interests – it is unlawful to act on them… Children under 16 are off limits. Full stop.”
— Sheriff Alistair Brown.
He said the offences were committed against a background of psychiatric issues, including gender dysphoria, which had seen Heatherill previously referred to a specialist sexual health clinic.
The dysphoria had led to him being bullied and withdrawing into his bedroom, where he spent time browsing the internet and developed his “deviant” interests, which he then acted upon with the teenage girls.
However Mr Crow said Heatherhill had since had help to resolve these issues.
He added: “Mr Heatherill is apologetic for his actions.
“He’s accepted the impact he’s had on his victims and what he did was, in his words, bad.”
‘Deviant sexual interests’
Sheriff Alistair Brown said a social work report had laid out the nature of Heatherill’s sexual interests.
He said: “I recognise and accept that you struggle, or at least suffer psychiatric issues, as a result of your gender dysphoria and it’s right that the court should be sympathetic of that.
“Sympathetic though I am to your difficulties the fact remains that you did what you did.
“It’s not an offence to have these issues and its not an offence to have these interests – it is unlawful to act on them.
“It’s significant that you did not act on them in relation to an adult woman, who may be better equipped to deal with them, you acted on them with a child.
“Children under 16 are off limits. Full stop.
“You subjected this child to what the report describes as ‘deviant sexual interests’.”
Placed on Register for decade
Heatherill admitted sending sexual messages and images to four girls, all between the ages of 13 and 16, at locations across Fife between October 2017 and April 2019.
He further admitted engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old at Eastfield Industrial Estate, Glenrothes, on an occasion between September 1 and October 17 2017.
Sheriff Alistair Brown jailed Heatherill, of Beechwood Drive, Glenrothes, for 21 months.
He also placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
