A Fife pest who asked two 13-year-old boys outside a Tesco if they wanted a threesome and called 999 about his hamster has been jailed.
Ian Rodger also accosted a 17-year-old boy, asking if he wanted to come home with him.
The 61-year-old, of Dundonald Park, Cardenden, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court via video link to prison.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland jailed Rodger for a total of eight months and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.
He was also made subject to a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
Sexual remarks
Rodger previously pled guilty to making sexual remarks towards the boys at the Tesco Express in Station Road, Cardenden, on January 13 last year.
Rodger had left a pub, intoxicated and phoned police for a lift home.
As he sat outside the shop, he asked a group of youths if he could see their genitals and asked the males if they “wanted a threesome”.
Rodger also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by making inappropriate and alarming comments containing sexual innuendo to a 17-year-old male at Station Road, on September 22 2022.
He approached the teenager and caused alarm by asking: “Do you want to come home with me?”
As the boy walked off, laughing Rodger stated: “Why won’t you come home with me, am I too old for you?”
Hamster calls
Rodger also earlier pled guilty to persistently making use of the emergency network by repeatedly making 999 calls about non-police matters, such as his hamster running about and being stuck under floorboards and leaving a pan containing oil on the hob, “for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to the call handler”.
Prosecutor Katie Adams told the court Rodger first called 999 at about 3pm on May 6 last year stating that, at about 4am that morning, he had left a pan on with oil in it and that his hamster had run into his bedroom.
The call handler explained the scenario was not worthy of calling emergency services but Rodger called again at 5am the next day saying he was intoxicated and needed someone to talk to.
He was asked if he was feeling suicidal and said no.
The fiscal depute continued: “He then went on to speak about the hamster, which was wandering under his floorboards.
“He told the call handler at one point to f**k off and the call handler terminated the call.
“Around 2am on May 8 the accused phoned again stating his hamster was stuck under the floorboards.
“He was told his conduct was a misuse of the service and replied something similar to ‘f**k off’ before hanging up”.
He phoned again at 5am to say he was ok and four hours later, police attended.
Defence lawyer Martin McGuire said Rodger has a criminal record and has, for much of his adult life, had difficulties with alcohol dependency and led an isolated lifestyle and suffered depression and anxiety linked to that.
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