STEVE WHITECROSS FROM INVERNESS AND LOSSIE ESCAPES JAIL AFTER SEX OFFENCES AND DRUGGING TEENAGE VICTIMS

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Highland community, Steven Whitecross, a 44-year-old lorry driver with connections to Inverness and Lossiemouth, has been spared a prison sentence despite a series of serious sex offences and drug-related crimes involving underage teenagers. The incidents spanned a period of four years, from 2008 to 2012, during which Whitecross engaged in disturbing behaviors across multiple locations in Inverness.

Whitecross was accused of abusing his position and trust by supplying alcohol and cannabis to vulnerable teenagers, some as young as 13, and then engaging in indecent acts with them. The court heard that he committed these offences in three different residences in Inverness, taking advantage of the teenagers’ willingness to experiment with substances. Although he denied ten charges, a jury at Inverness Sheriff Court found him guilty of eight, including three counts of sexual assault. The remaining five charges related to the supply of cannabis and alcohol to minors.

Two additional charges, one of indecent assault on a 17-year-old and another of breaching bail conditions, were not proven. The victims included five female teenagers and one male, with the youngest victim being just 13 years old in April 2008. On that occasion, Whitecross supplied her with alcohol in two city centre pubs before behaving in a lewd and indecent manner at a nearby flat in Inverness.

Further incidents occurred in June 2012, when Whitecross provided two 16-year-olds with cannabis and alcohol. During one of these encounters, he sexually assaulted one of the girls in a two-bedroom flat in Inverness. Court proceedings revealed that he rubbed the girl’s leg and attempted to put his hand down the front of her shorts, actions that constituted sexual assault under the law.

Additional allegations involved Whitecross giving alcohol and cannabis to a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, subsequently indecently assaulting one of them. Despite the absence of direct witnesses to some of the assaults, the court convicted him based on patterns of behavior, including his tendency to get victims heavily intoxicated or high before initiating contact. His actions were characterized by a disturbing pattern of stroking their hands or feet before progressing to more invasive acts.

Whitecross, who formerly resided in Inverness but now lives in Lossiemouth at a bail address in Marina Quay, was sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court to three years’ probation and 300 hours of community service. Sheriff Margaret Neilson explained that the probation sentence would place Whitecross under extended supervision, which she believed was more appropriate than a short prison term that would have resulted in his release without ongoing oversight. The court emphasized that this approach better serves the public interest by ensuring continued monitoring of his conduct.

In a related case from December 2014, Whitecross was convicted of drugging teenage girls before sexually assaulting them in various locations within Inverness. The court heard that he had committed these offences in three different homes he occupied in the Highland capital over the four-year period. The jury found him guilty of three sexual assaults, as well as culpably and recklessly supplying alcohol and cannabis to minors under 18. Two other charges, including indecent assault and breach of bail, were not proven.

During the trial, it was noted that Whitecross’s pattern involved getting his victims intoxicated or high, then engaging in inappropriate touching, often starting with stroking their hands or feet. One victim, aged just 13, was intoxicated after consuming alcohol supplied by Whitecross at pubs and his home, before he kissed and caressed her. Two other girls, aged 15 and 16, were given increasingly stronger vodka and cannabis until they were unable to stand, after which Whitecross indecently assaulted them.

The police were alerted when the older girl confided in her mother about the incidents. Since then, she has undergone psychiatric and psychological treatment and has even attempted suicide. She expressed her relief outside court, stating, “I am relieved it is all over and we can look forward to 2015. Now the healing can begin and myself and the other girls can get on with our lives.”

Whitecross, who was on bail at Marina Quay, Lossiemouth, was placed on the sex offenders register. His sentencing was scheduled for January 5, with the court emphasizing the importance of ongoing supervision to prevent further harm. Prosecutors highlighted that Whitecross exploited the teenagers’ willingness to experiment with drugs and alcohol, taking advantage of their vulnerability in a manner that has left a lasting impact on his victims and the community.