Sales boss stalked lapdancer with 'creepy' messages

Cameron Marshall, 57, of of Lord Gambier Wharf, Kirkcaldy, targeted the 24-year-old lapdancer, who he had spotted when she was a child.

He contacted her using the instant messenger app, Kik, which lets users hide behind pseudonyms.

He began by asking how she was, and “immediately went on to ask if she had her own place.”

She then received messages asking if she was “with her bf” - boyfriend - and if she was still living in a certain town.

Prosecutor Claire Bremner told a court: “As these messages were coming from a person not recognised by her, she asked who this person was.

“He replied he did not want to provide his name or details but stated he was ‘an older guy with kids ... who wants to get to know you better’.”

She said the accused proceeded to send messages to the young blonde in which he told her he had met her 15 years before and had “watched her grow up... innocently”.

He added, “please don’t be scared”, and told her that he knew she “worked at night” and was “like a sexi [SIC] secretary”.

Miss Bremner said: “The accused continued to message her, asking if he had scared her. Still none the wiser as to who was sending these messages, she asked the accused why he was contacting her.”

He replied: “Cos I want to make love to you.”

The depute fiscal went on: “Despite having received no sexual advances from her, the accused continued to message her, saying ‘U need 2 tell me how 2 behave’ and ‘I am willing to play ur game, ur rules, if u promise never 2 tell anyone’.”

Miss Bremner said: “Having become increasingly concerned by the nature of these messages, she sent a message to the accused saying she was not interested.

She told the court Marshall continued to message her saying he would lose his job, wife, and kids, but she would be worth it, and sent numerous other messages in which he attempted to engage her in conversation.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told that Marshall’s victim was by now “extremely concerned” and messaged back, “ur being a creep”.

Eventually, she confided in a friend who showed her a picture of a man posing online under the name of “Sandy McNeil”, and she recognised him as Marshall, the father of someone she knew.

Marshall, pleaded guilty to stalking the young woman by sending her 132 Kik messages in seven days between July 18 and 25, 2014.

In a separate offence, he further admitted stalking a woman with whom he’d had a year-long relationship. He Kik-messaged her, phoned her, and left messages asking her to speak to him between August and November 2014.

A social work risk assessment prepared for Marshall’s sentencing said he had a “sexual pre-occupation”.

Neil Hay, defending, said Marshall used Kik to find dates.

Mr Hay said the lapdancer had replied to some of Marshall’s messages, and added: ‘‘There was a discourse between them to some limited extent, albeit subsequently described by her as unwelcome.

“He made certain assumptions about what form of communication might be acceptable, based on the employment of the lady in question.”

He said Marshall, a divorcee with grown-up children, was in “sales-based employment, in a responsible position”.

Sheriff William Gilchrist placed Marshall under social work supervision for three years, on the sex offender’s register for three years, and also made him subject to a three year non-harassment order, banning him from contacting either woman.

He said: “It’s almost impossible to argue there wasn’t a significant sexual aspect to this behaviour. Your communication with both complainers was both unsolicited and unwelcome.”