Febuary 2012 Inverness-shire villager jailed for attacking sex offender A SHERIFF told a court today he feared for the rule of law as he jailed a man for attacking a convicted sex offender in an Inverness-shire village. Sheriff Ian Abercrombie sentenced Kenneth Scott to 11 weeks for assaulting sex offender David Matheson near Gorthleck Fire Station. But Scott’s solicitor Craig Wood had told Inverness Sheriff Court: “There are very few in the community who have said anything other than ‘well done’ (to Scott).” Matheson (53) had been convicted in 2008 for having unlawful sex with a 15 year-old boy who claimed he was 18. He was placed on probation and was on the Sex Offenders Register until January of this year. November 2008 North man, 50, had sex with boy contacted on internet A 50-year-old man who contacted a 15-year-old boy through an internet website, then committed consensual sexual acts with him, was placed on probation for two years at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday. David Matheson will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for the duration of the supervised probation period. Fiscal depute Alison Smith told the court that, to use the internet website, the boy had to pretend to be over 18, and he did make that pretence. The fact they were meeting was brought to the attention of police by a third party because of concern over the nature of the relationship between them. Ms Smith said they at first exchanged mobile phone numbers, but then met on a number of occasions between December 2007 and March 25 this year. When interviewed under caution, Matheson, whose address on the indictment was given as Inverness Prison, told officers that, on occasion when he went to pick up the teenager in his car, the boy would hide in the boot to avoid detection, said Ms Smith. Matheson admitted a charge of communicating with a person under 16, and travelling between Lyne of Gorthleck, Inverness-shire, and Maryburgh Woods and the banks of the River Conon with the intention to meet and have unlawful sex, and two charges of committing homosexual acts with a person under 16. Matheson also admitted that, after being charged and appearing in court at Inverness on these offences, he broke a bail condition not to have further contact with the boy. Ms Smith said the boy was content to be contacted in breach of the bail condition, and they spoke on the phone once or twice a week. A relative of the boy contacted the police about this contact, she added.