NORMAN HINKS FROM BLAIRGOWRIE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES ON BUS IN PERTH

A 58-year-old man named Norman Hinks, who was a passenger on a bus in Blairgowrie, has been formally placed on the sex offenders register following a disturbing incident involving a teenage girl. The incident, which took place on September 2 of the previous year, involved Hinks repeatedly making inappropriate sexual advances towards a 15-year-old girl, causing her significant distress and alarm.

According to court proceedings, the young girl had boarded the bus after spending the day with her boyfriend. Almost immediately, Hinks, who was visibly intoxicated, approached her and made unsolicited comments, asking, "Why is such a beautiful young girl all alone?" and inquiring why she did not have a boyfriend. These remarks set the tone for the uncomfortable encounter that would follow.

Depute fiscal Tina Dickie detailed to the court that the girl felt uneasy but attempted to deflect Hinks’s advances by smiling politely and inserting her earphones, hoping to avoid further interaction. She also explained that her phone was out of battery, which she hoped would serve as a barrier to Hinks’s continued attempts to engage her.

Despite her efforts to distance herself, Hinks persisted in his inappropriate behavior. He explicitly propositioned her, asking, "If I give you £100, will you have sex with me?" This repeated offer was made in front of other passengers, who became aware of the situation and told Hinks to stop, with some telling him, "Stop it, you're being a paedo."

Witnesses and other passengers attempted to intervene, but Hinks continued to demand sexual acts from the girl, ignoring their protests. The court was told that the girl was "hugely alarmed" by Hinks’s persistent advances. The distress was so severe that she disembarked at her stop, visibly upset, and burst into tears upon reaching home.

Hinks, who resides in Dalginross, Comrie, pleaded guilty to charges of intentionally directing sexual communication towards a minor, repeatedly offering money for sex, and making inappropriate sexual remarks that caused the girl fear and alarm. The court, presided over by Sheriff Lindsay Foulis at Perth Sheriff Court, sentenced him to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work. The sheriff also emphasized that Hinks’s conduct had caused the young girl "considerable distress" and noted that his inappropriate comments were made multiple times during the journey, prompting intervention from other passengers.