GREGORIA BULALACAO SENTENCED IN STOKE-ON-TRENT FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON SCHOOLGIRLS

In July 2014, Gregoria Bulalacao, a 47-year-old man from Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent, was convicted of sexually assaulting two schoolgirls in a supermarket car park. Bulalacao approached the teenagers, who were on their way to school, and greeted them by calling them 'beautiful ladies' while shaking their hands. Magistrates heard that he licked his lips and stuck his tongue out during the encounter.

The incident took place on February 13 when, at approximately 8:10 a.m., a mother dropped off the girls in a Co-operative car park. While waiting for their friend, the girls were approached by Bulalacao, who remarked, 'Hello, beautiful ladies,' and asked their ages. Despite the girls ignoring him, he walked back to his car, potentially saying, 'Bye Bye, beautiful ladies.' After going into a shop, he re-emerged, and the interaction continued when he returned to shake their hands. He inquired if they liked girls or boys, but they ignored him.

Bulalacao admitted to acting in a sexual manner by licking his lips and sticking out his tongue. The court acknowledged that his behaviour likely caused fear among the girls and recognized it as flirting with a sexual undertone.

A victim statement from one of the girls expressed that the incident left her feeling anxious and scared. In mitigation, Najeeb Ali noted that Bulalacao, who is originally from the Philippines and has been in the UK for 11 years, expressed regret for his 'foolish behaviour' during the brief incident. Ali also mentioned that Bulalacao claimed the girls giggled at him and that he has odd teeth.

District Judge David Taylor sentenced Bulalacao to an 18-month community order with supervision, requiring him to participate in the Facing Forwards one-to-one sex offender programme. Additionally, he was fined £100, ordered to pay £400 in costs, and a £60 surcharge. Bulalacao was also placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

The judge remarked, 'By your guilty plea you accept you were acting in a sexual manner by licking your lips and sticking your tongue out flirting with them. And in doing so you shook the hands of two of those girls. This is a very unusual case on its facts because the sexual touching relates to what in many ways is an ordinary thing of life, shaking somebody’s hand. But I am quite satisfied you knew what you were doing at that time was sexual.'