A brave 12-year-old girl used her social media app to arrange her escape from a caravan trip after being sexually assaulted by a 56-year-old man. The girl sent several SnapChat messages to her mum to call for help after she realised she was being abused by trip organiser Alistair McCready.
She sent six messages in 30 minutes as she desperately tried to get help to flee from the caravan in the early hours of the morning. Her mother woke up and saw messages saying her daughter had been sexually abused by McCready and that he had been acting weird towards her.
McCready, from Coupar Angus, Perthshire, was remanded in custody for reports after he admitted sexually assaulting a child at Ballintuim Caravan Park near Blairgowrie in July 2021. Sheriff William Wood told Perth Sheriff Court: "Given the elements of this case it seems a custodial sentence is going to be inevitable because of the breach of trust."
Fiscal depute Marie Lyons told the court McCready had taken a group of girls to his caravan and targeted the 12-year-old after the others fell asleep on the first night.
"At some point the accused entered and gave two girls a chocolate bar. After a short period one of the girls fell asleep," Mrs Lyons said.
"The complainer had her back to him. He rubbed his hand under her top. He moved his hand to her bottom and began rubbing.
"He moved his hand between her legs to her vagina. She thinks that he might have thought she was sleeping. She was upset and had tears in her eyes.
"She sent a message to her mum asking to be collected and saying that the accused was acting weird. She sent six SnapChat messages between 2.11 and 2.45 am."
The girl said: "I want to come home. I miss you and can't sleep. Please can I come home? Alistair is being weird. He's rubbing me. I don't like it."
When her mother was eventually woken, she drove out to the caravan park, and the "clearly distraught" girl ran out and hugged her. In the morning, McCready woke one of the other girls and asked where his victim had gone. He then sat alone outside the caravan and later said: "I think I have done something."
All of the children were interviewed and McCready was arrested. He told police he had a drink problem and that he had felt suicidal since the incident. The girl's pyjama bottoms were analysed and self-employed McCready's DNA was found on the inside of the waistband.
Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said: "He has been ostracised from his family. His life has been turned upside down because of this."
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