Fife cake shop owner groomed girl, 14, for months, groped and kissed her

Sean McGowan, 38, from Glenrothes, was found guilty after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

His Inverkeithing business ‘Catered With Love’ closed down after protests outside the shop after his actions came to light.

For more than two months, McGowan groomed the girl, groped and kissed her, asked her to send him naked photos of herself and said he wanted to have sex with her.

One of the messages he sent stated, “You could get me in a lot of bother LOL” and another read, “It could get me jailed”.

Other messages were about him not having boxers on and asking to see naked photos of her.

After a trial McGowan was found of a charge that between March 16-May 26, 2020 at ‘Catered With Love’, King Street, Inverkeithing, a location at South Queensferry and elsewhere, he engaged in sexual activity with a girl then aged 14, by repeatedly kissing her, touching her on the body, touching her on the buttocks, slapping her on the buttocks.

He also sent her sexual written communications, repeatedly asked that she send him naked images of her buttocks and repeatedly told her that he wanted her to be the person she lost her virginity to.

The girl’s mum became concerned over her daughter’s behaviour as she became more secretive, especially about what was on her phone.

When she checked the phone, she discovered the messages from McGowan and the police were contacted.

In his evidence, McGowan said when the messages he had sent were read out in court he “felt very uncomfortable”.

However, he claimed, “There was nothing untoward. It was all just in a friendly manner. Just a bit of banter and jokes. It wasn’t sexual.”

He said of his texts about not wearing boxer shorts, “It wasn’t appropriate. I can’t deny that but it wasn’t sexual.”

In her evidence, the girl said she had sent him naked photos but McGowan denied this. She also said he used code words in his messages such as “stickers” which meant kisses.

McGowan, formerly of Auchtermuchty, now of Earlston Way, Macedonia, Glenrothes, told the court he had lost his business as a result of a “witch-hunt” against him, including on social media.

Sheriff David Hall told McGowan he rejected his evidence and found the young girl to be a “credible and reliable witness”.

Sheriff Hall called for reports and put McGowan on the sex offenders’ register. He will be sentenced on 9th November.