A high-risk sex offender who was caught locked in his home with three vulnerable children is facing an extended prison sentence.
Ryan Scott is back behind bars after breaching his stringent community payback order (CPO).
Earlier this year, repeat offender Scott was placed on a three-year order with conduct requirements in a bid to rehabilitate him in the community, having spent more than a year on remand at HMP Perth.
However, Dundee Sheriff Court heard Scott had failed to meaningfully engage with the order and was caught downloading TikTok to a phone and searching for a victim’s name.
Abusing crack cocaine
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith told him: “Having tried to give you the opportunity to be rehabilitated in the community you have not grasped that and I now have to consider imposing a custodial sentence.
“I consider it may be appropriate for me to impose an extended sentence.”
He said: “The court is of the view that the only means of disposing of you now is by means of a period of imprisonment”.
The court heard how Scott has been regularly taking crack cocaine since being placed in homeless accommodation at Dundee Survival Group on Foundry Lane.
Scott, who was known as a female named Coral, previously admitted sexually abusing a child at an address in the Douglas area of Dundee in April 2023.
Two other children were found within the property following a raid by police.
One month earlier, Scott was placed on a three-year community payback order and banned from contacting children after luring a child to a flat in Dundee to engage in sexual activity.
Things went ‘from bad to worse’
Scott, 22, appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court to partially admit the terms of the CPO breach report, issued by Dundee City Council’s social work department.
Sheriff Niven-Smith had been the sheriff who imposed the most recent CPO and presided over the custody case.
Solicitor Anika Jethwa said Scott’s mother couldn’t cope with him living in her home and he was given a place at Dundee Survival Group.
She said: “I think things have really gone from bad to worse and whilst within the Dundee Survival Group, he seems to have – and I say this loosely – not engaged.
“I spent some time this morning with him just going through everything in detail and identifying where he has been going spectacularly wrong and the predicament he has placed himself in.”
Sheriff Niven-Smith added: “It came as somewhat of a disappointment to me when I received the breach report and was asked how the court were to proceed.
“I immediately indicated a warrant should be granted for your arrest.
“You are assessed as being at high-risk of reoffending. You minimise and deny your behaviours and you are not motivated to meaningfully comply with this order.”
Scott was remanded in custody until next month so a further social work report could be compiled.
This is to assess Scott’s suitability for an extended sentence which involves a period of imprisonment and a further period of close supervision in the community.
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