MAN ADMITS TO SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH TEEN IN EXCHANGE FOR VAPES IN AYRSHIRE COURT

A 56-year-old man named Donald Ballantyne has admitted to engaging in sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 16 in exchange for vapes. The court heard that Ballantyne communicated indecently with the girl, known to him since she was seven, and also sent an explicit picture. Last week at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, he pleaded guilty to three charges, including sexual activity with a minor on July 12 and 13, 2023, and causing her to view a sexual image. Prosecutor Craig Wainwright detailed that Ballantyne started their interaction with normal messaging but escalated to sexual remarks and explicit exchanges around June, including references to her body and his desire to have sex with her. Court proceedings revealed that he sent a sexual image, made sexual comments, and arranged to meet her at a park, where he touched her buttocks and attempted an inappropriate encounter inside a campervan. The following day, similar interactions occurred, with additional sexual touching. The girl’s mother discovered the messages and meetings, leading to police involvement. Ballantyne was identified via phone records and police investigation, which uncovered several sexual messages. He admitted to the offences and was placed on the sex offenders register; his sentencing was deferred to later this year after requesting background reports. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the crime, noting it was a vulnerable teenage girl, and warned Ballantyne accordingly.