An East Kilbride man who was found guilty of offering a teenage girl cash in exchange for sexual favours has been sentenced to 20 months in jail by Hamilton Sheriff Court. Andrew Cunningham, aged 36, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of 10 years by Sheriff Louise Gallacher, who described his actions as “highly disturbing”. The court heard that Cunningham bombarded the schoolgirl with texts, suggesting booking a hotel room for them and offering her money for sexual services. Rebecca Clark, the prosecutor in the case, highlighted that Cunningham’s messages indicated he was asking the girl to engage in prostitution for £100 a week. Despite Cunningham denying the charges of communicating indecently with a child and offering cash for sexual services, he was found guilty on both counts for offences that occurred in May 2023.
During the trial, Cunningham claimed that he had left his phone behind in a pub and did not have it back for several days, implying that one of his friends may have sent the messages. However, jurors were told that Cunningham’s messages contained explicit content and offers of money in exchange for sexual activities with the girl. The court also heard that Cunningham had met the girl and her friends outside a pub, following which the girl received multiple texts and phone calls from Cunningham, including offers of alcohol and intentions to engage in sexual activities. Despite the lewd messages, the girl did not respond positively and mentioned obligations that prevented her from meeting Cunningham.
In his defence, Cunningham’s lawyer, Ian Scott, mentioned his client’s issues with drugs and alcohol and stated that the offences were out of character for him. Scott suggested a community payback order for Cunningham that would involve supervision and support for his rehabilitation. However, Sheriff Gallacher expressed concern over a report suggesting that Cunningham was engaging in victim-blaming and was unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions. As a result, Sheriff Gallacher sentenced Cunningham to jail, emphasising the need for intervention to prevent re-offending.
In light of the disturbing nature of the case and the impact on the victim, the sentencing serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation and abuse. The court’s decision reflects a firm stance against such predatory behaviour and highlights the need for individuals to be held accountable for their actions, particularly when targeting minors for sexual exploitation. Such cases underscore the necessity of robust legal measures to safeguard young people and ensure that perpetrators face justice for their reprehensible actions.