November 2011 Bikini-wearing man buys girl, 12, underwear A MAN involved in family-orientated community celebrations has been put on the sex offenders’ register after he bought underwear for a young girl and asked her to wear it in his presence. Mark Gray, 28, from Whitecraig, a former attendant at Musselburgh’s Honest Toun’s Association (HTA) annual summer festival, also wore a bikini top in front of the girl. At Haddington Sheriff Court on Wednesday, he was put on probation for two years and will be reported to Scottish Ministers who will consider adding him to the Disqualified from Working with Children List. On a number of occasions, the girl – who was only 12 when the offence started in April 2009 and turned 13 before it ended in October that year – was given gifts of underwear by Gray at an address in East Lothian. Having previously admitted to lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the girl, Gray – an attendant at Musselburgh’s HTA celebrations in 2005 – appeared in court for sentencing on Wednesday, when his behaviour was branded “bizarre”. The HTA holds annual community celebrations which attract scores of families and children. Several attendants are chosen each year to asssist the two main figures – the Honest Lad and the Honest Lass – in various community celebrations and duties. The group said on Wednesday that Gray had no official capacity within the association. However, the Courier understands he has been involved in several festival celebrations as recently as this year, and is also in a relationship with 2011 male attendant Leigh Dougal. The court heard from Gray’s solicitor that his “somewhat bizarre behaviour occurred against a background of personal relationship difficulties”. “[There were] family bereavements, and confusion over the accused’s own sexual orientation,” said the lawyer. “I don’t say for a moment that excuses the behaviour but I hope it does place it in some sort of context.” He said it had been a time of “emotional and psychological stress” for Gray, who had suffered from severe clinical depression. The solicitor told the court that Gray realised “the potential for harm that can be caused by such actions”. “It should be noted, in terms of the Crown narration, the information appears to suggest that no actual emotional harm has been caused to [the girl] as a consequence,” he added. “It’s had a significant impact on his personal life in other ways. He is the manager at an outlet in Livingston and he may lose his employment as a result of the conviction.” Sheriff Peter Braid told Gray: “Your behaviour was bizarre and in my view inappropriate, and obviously was criminal. But I am satisfied that the appropriate disposal is the one recommended – a two-year probation order.” Gray, of Whitecraig Avenue, was also added to the sex offenders’ register for two years. He had initially been charged with two other offences of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour: one, dating from 2003, where he was accused of cuddling a 15-year-old girl while in a sleeping bag with her and asked her if she wanted to have sex; and another – on occasions between March 2005 and August 2009 – where it had been alleged he had asked another girl, aged just 11, to try on underwear, touched her leg, kissed her face, sent her photographs of himself wearing bras, thongs and miniskirts, and gifted her a webcam. A not guilty plea to both offences was accepted by the court at an earlier hearing. Following Wednesday’s sentencing, Andrew Gordon – president of the HTA – told the Courier that he could not comment on what Gray got up to “in his spare time”. Mr Gordon said: “We can’t stop Mark turning at somebody else’s party which isn’t officially led by the HTA. He hadn’t been convicted of anything [at the time of this year’s festival].” Mr Gordon added that he had only been aware of the allegations against Gray – who lists the Musselburgh Festival among his interests on Facebook – in September of this year.