Paedophile from Fife went on illegal campervan tour of Scotland’s beauty spots

A paedophile from Fife who took a campervan tour to Scottish beauty spots was repeatedly breaching a court order by staying at sites where children were present.

Kenneth Bond breached sex offender notification requirements by failing to keep police properly informed of his whereabouts and that he was staying in places likely to be full of families with young children.

The 63-year-old stayed at Scottish campsites without the knowledge of the authorities for more than six months.

He was only caught when he walked into a Perth police station to get help starting the van and informed officers he was staying at a campsite in the area.

Accused stayed at numerous campsites

Bond was placed on the sex offenders register for life in 2019 after he was caught in a hotel room with a bag of sex toys, ropes and alcohol, waiting for a 12-year-old girl after a police sting, featuring an online profile called ‘Dirty Tony’.

He moved from Derby to Glenrothes.

Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court one of the requirements of the register is offenders must inform police if they plan to stay somewhere other than their home for more than seven days.

Bond was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which means he must not reside anywhere there might be children under 16 living nearby.

In March 2023, Bond purchased a campervan to travel around Scotland.

He told his supervision officer and was reminded of his notification requirements, Ms Simpson said.

Between April 7 and May 5 last year, Bond stayed at Dingwall, Loch Ness and Glencoe, each time breaching the requirement not to stay near children

From October 27 last year until October 29, Bond breached again by parking his camper at Millarrochy Campsite near Glasgow and between December 12 and December 21 at another campsite near Perth.

These offences only came to light after he walked into Perth’s police station in December last year and told them he had been staying in the area.

Bond pled guilty to three counts of breaching his notification requirements and five charges of failing to give notice that he would be staying in a location where children would be present.

‘Pretty unusual situation’

Defence lawyer Kevin Connors told the court his client had been operating under the belief he was adhering to the conditions of both his sex offender orders while on his campervan trip.

“It’s a pretty unusual situation… Mr Bond came to purchase a campervan when his home was targeted by protestors who were unhappy that a registered sex offender was living in the area.

“His home was targeted and damaged and he was told by police it was not safe.”

Mr Conners said Bond was told by his supervising officer he only had to notify police if he intended to stay anywhere for more than seven days, rather than for seven days.

Regarding the matter of staying near children, he added Bond had “convinced himself that resting in the caravan park in the camper van was the same as being in a house but actually they were all under the same address.

“That’s his biggest problem – it is giving himself the benefit of the doubt.”

Sheriff Philip Mann told Bond this was “quite a serious situation” and that “there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”

He jailed Bond, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, for a total of 20 months.

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