A man found guilty of sexually assaulting two children has been locked up.
https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/dundee-man-39-breaks-down-in-court-after-being-found-guilty-of-sexually-assaulting-children/
Barry Ward, of Seaforth Crescent, was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years after being convicted of four charges involving the children between August 2016 and May last year.
He previously told a sheriff at Dundee Sheriff Court that he was “shocked” and “stunned” by the allegations made against him – claiming his life had been “changed forever”.
The alarm was raised after one of the children told their parents and described Ward as “creepy”.
Ward claimed that he was comforting the child who had opened up to him about being bullied.
He said there “wasn’t anything sinister” in his contact with the children and insisted it was a “caring gesture”.
Ward molested the first child by placing his hand on the child’s leg and touching the youngster inappropriately in his car.
The 39-year-old then assaulted the same child at McDonald’s at Ethiebeaton Park by rubbing the child’s leg, placing his hand around the child’s waist and kissing the child on the cheek as well as placing his hand around the child’s waist and kissing the youngster on the forehead at an address in the city.
Ward was found guilty of sexually assaulting the second child during the same time period by rubbing the child’s leg with his hand.
Fighting back tears when giving evidence, Ward said: “I was totally shocked and stunned when the police arrived.
“I just felt my life had been turned upside down. I’ve never done anything to hurt anyone.
“I’ve always been a very caring person. From that day my life has been changed forever.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown said that Ward was not a credible witness.
She sentenced him to nine months in prison.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.