A Rosyth man sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl after showering her with gifts.
Craig Hamilton sent the youngster naked images of himself and urged her to reciprocate.
The 19-year-old even asked the girl “will you marry me?” in a Snapchat message that was opened by her mother.
Hamilton appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the girl by penetration at addresses in Fife on various occasions between April 2021 and January last year.
He was placed on the sex offenders register and will be sentenced in May.
Snapchat messages
The court heard how Hamilton met the child after offering to do gardening work for her mother.
He texted the woman offering to take her daughter our. On another occasion, he bought her a bottle of perfume after meeting her on a trip to Dunfermline.
He also gave her a nail kit.
The mum later discovered that Hamilton had also been messaging the girl directly.
Fiscal depute Alistair McDermid said: “The complainer’s mother opened Snapchat and read the unopened message, which was from a number named ‘best friend’.
“It showed a picture of a man’s legs and said ‘Will you marry me?’ with a ring emoji.
“Later that morning she challenged her daughter about the messages but she denied anything was going on.”
Confrontation
Shortly afterwards, the girl told her mother that Hamilton had touched her sexually.
The woman then confronted the then 17-year-old.
Mr McDermid said: “She asked him explicitly why he was sending messages to her 11-year-old.
“He apologised and asked if she was going to tell his mother.”
The woman contacted police and the girl told them in an interview that Hamilton had touched her several times, despite telling him to stop.
She also said that he had placed her hand on his penis.
Hamilton, of Burnside Street, sent her naked photos and asked her to do the same, which she did.
When arrested, he told officers: “It was wrong and it shouldn’t have happened.”
Sentence was deferred for reports and Hamilton was placed on the sex offenders register in the interim.
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