A high risk sex offender has been given a life sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh after molesting a little boy while he was being monitored by police. A judge was told that Steven Randall posed a threat of serious sexual violence to children and adults.
Randall, from Strathaven in Lanarkshire, had earlier admitted indecent behaviour towards his child victim at the boy's home in Ayr in March this year. Sentence had been deferred on Randall for the preparation of a full risk assessment on him and a background report.
The court heard that Randall was previously on the sex offenders' register, but his registration ended in July last year. But because of his "high risk" status police to decided to continue monitoring and visiting him.
On the day of the offence Randall had been drinking in pubs in Ayr town centre with another man before they went to the boy's home. He fell asleep on a living room couch but the child later wakened his mother to alert her as to what happened. The other man told Randall to leave the house and later reported the incident to police.
Police visited Randall at his home in April while monitoring him and noticed that he had library books on subjects such as breast feeding and child massage which contained naked images of young children.
He revealed that he was having problems with thoughts about sexual attraction to children and wanted help. Officers were later told to interview him over the abuse of the boy in Ayr, but he initially denied the allegation. When police turned up the following day he said he wanted to tell the truth about what happened in Ayr.
During a subsequent interview he admitted abusing the boy and said: "I feel really bad".
Lord Mackay told Randall: "You have pled guilty to the sexual abuse of a young boy."
"You are 23 and on the day you committed the offence the victim was under four and a half years old"
The judge pointed out that the crime was committed during the middle of the night while Randall was a visitor at the boy's family home and while the youngster was sleeping in his bedroom.
Lord Mackay said "The reports before me make it clear that if you were at liberty you would pose a high risk of causing serious harm to the safety of the public at large."
He added: "I am advised there is a risk of serious sexual violence...and that violence might be directed against children or adults."
The judge said he was satisfied in the circumstances he should impose an Order for Lifelong Restriction on Randall.
Under the indeterminate sentence it will be left to the Parole Board to decide whether it is safe to allow his release.
Lord Mackay ordered that Randall must serve a minimum of five years and four months in prison before he is eligible to apply for parole, and also ordered that Randall be put on the sex offenders' register again.
