JAMES HAGGERTY FOUND IN GLENROTHES HOME AFTER MISSING GIRL ALERT IN FIFE

In a startling development, authorities confirmed that a 16-year-old girl who had been reported missing was discovered within the residence of James Haggerty in Glenrothes, Fife. The incident unfolded after police launched an urgent appeal on December 30 of the previous year, seeking public assistance in locating the missing teenager, who was believed to be in residential care prior to her disappearance.

Following the appeal, detectives received credible information on January 1 indicating that Haggerty had been seen with the girl during Hogmanay celebrations. This sighting prompted further investigation and heightened police scrutiny of Haggerty’s whereabouts and activities.

Haggerty, a known high-risk sex offender, was found to have harbored the girl at his address on Julian Road in Glenrothes. The police report indicates that shortly after his release from prison, Haggerty admitted to sheltering the teenager in his home. Despite this admission, authorities clarified that there was no evidence suggesting any malicious or “sinister” intent concerning the girl, who had been reported missing from a residential care facility.

Legal proceedings reveal that Haggerty had previously breached the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). In June 2024, Dundee Sheriff Court sentenced him to a backdated jail term after he was found to have violated the conditions of his SOPO. The court also heard that Haggerty had a history of breaching this order on multiple occasions, including a recent incident linked to a bizarre feud with another convicted paedophile, Adam Fraser.

During the police investigation, officers attempted to contact Haggerty, who responded with hostility. According to fiscal depute Nicola Caira, Haggerty was annoyed when police arrived at his home and threatened legal action to hinder their search efforts. Police made several attempts to communicate with him through messages and phone calls, eventually confirming that the girl was inside his residence. Haggerty initially claimed he was working in Edinburgh at the time but later told police he could “see them,” indicating awareness of their presence.

When officers informed Haggerty that they would need to forcibly enter the property, he became aggressive, verbally threatening to assault officers and to damage police vehicles by throwing bricks through the windows. Despite his threats, police entered the premises and found the girl along with another child inside.

Haggerty’s behavior escalated as he returned to the property and approached police with what was described as “combative body language.” He attempted to flee but was chased and eventually detained by officers. During the arrest, Haggerty was found to have assaulted police officers on three separate occasions and resisted arrest, in addition to the charge of harboring the girl.

Haggerty, who had been remanded at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to all charges. His solicitor, Lee Qumsieh, explained that the girl had approached Haggerty at the Glenrothes bus station, asking to use his mobile phone after leaving a residential care home to run away. Haggerty’s response was to encourage her to return home, but he admitted that he allowed her to attend his address, acknowledging that he should have known better given his own history within the care system.

In court, the Crown confirmed that there was no evidence of any “untoward” or “sinister” activity involving the girl, and Sheriff Alastair Carmichael questioned whether anything inappropriate had occurred. Haggerty was classified as a “very high risk” sex offender, and as an alternative to imprisonment, he was placed under a six-month restriction of liberty order. This order mandates that he remain indoors between 7pm and 7am, aiming to monitor and limit his movements during this period.