Published: Wednesday, 9th July, 2008 12:00
Child sex assault schoolboy sent to jail for 14 months
By Court Reporter
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David Callum was jailed for 14 months at Stirling Sheriff Court.
A SCHOOLBOY sex pervert from Alloa who preyed on a five-year-old girl in a toy tent was jailed for 14 months last Wednesday.
David Callum ignored the child’s screams and pleas for him to stop as he abused her while he was supposed to be babysitting.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard that Callum, (17), had been left in charge of the child for little more than an hour while her mother and grandmother went out to view a flat which was for rent.
In harrowing testimony given from behind screens, the child, now six, said she had been allowed by her mum to sleep in the tent in her bedroom on the evening of the assault — June 20 2007 — because the light summer nights had been keeping her awake.
After reading her a bedtime story, Callum lifted her fairy nightdress and sexually assaulted her.
The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said, “I screamed but he still kept doing it.
“I don’t know how long it lasted, but I was shouting for my mummy.
“Then he spoke to me and told me not to tell my mum, but I needed to tell my mum.”
Police praised the little girl’s bravery and said her statement had been “definite, concise and consistent”.
The court heard that Callum was a fifth year pupil at the time of the incident.
He appeared for sentence after being found guilty after jury trial in May.
Callum, now of Mercat Wynd, Alloa, formerly of Bank Street in the town, had denied using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the girl.
He wore “mosher” clothing throughout the two-day trial and fiddled nervously with the teenage music cult’s trademark leather fingerless gloves and bracelets throughout the girl’s testimony.
Defence agent Grant Markie said his client’s educational future had been ruined by the offence.
But the court heard that Callum had shown no remorse for the offence, and a social background report described his attitude as “cavalier”.
Sheriff Andrew Cubie said that because of his lack of empathy and remorse, there would be no purpose in probation, and because of the severity of the offence, community service would be inadequate.
The sheriff said, “Your actions went so far beyond what is acceptable that public revulsion and deterrence outweigh any factors in your favour.
“This type of behaviour is incomprehensible to right-minded people.”
In addition to the jail sentence, he placed Callum on the sex offender’s register for three years.
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