Sex offender ignored ban on contact with children at Fife church

It was the third time that Gordon Shields had breached the Sexual Offences Prevention Order which was imposed in 2014.

He breached it this time at a Kirkcaldy church when girls, aged seven and eight at the time, were at guitar lessons.

The order prevents him from having contact or communication with any female under the age of 16.

Shields (64), currently a prisoner at Perth, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted breaching the Sexual Offences Prevention Order granted at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

On various occasions between September 9 and October 18 at the Redeem Christian Church of God, Victoria Gardens, Kirkcaldy, he had contact with girls aged seven and eight.

Depute fiscal Susan Lumsden told the court that the church pastor and elders were aware of Shields’ previous offending.

Having gone there before, Shields started re-attending the church.

Police went to his home on an unannounced visit and Shields told them he had been going to the church regularly.

It was discovered that the two girls were attending guitar lessons when Shields was also there.

Shields told officers that he had shown the girls how to play a chord on the guitar.

Branislav Sudjic said, “It’s conceded that to breach an order such as this is a very serious matter.

“There were children there and he was present. He had shown them the guitar chord.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair told Shields, “This is the third time you have been convicted for breaching the order.

“An issue here is that children are seeing you at the church, see you as a church member and then may see you again away from the church.

“The church staff may have been aware of the background here but the children and their parents would not have been aware of it.”

He jailed Shields for eight months backdated to 30 th October when he was taken into custody.