East Lothian man who had sex with 13-year-old girl in Edinburgh McDonald’s disabled toilet jailed
An East Lothian man who had sex with a vulnerable teenage child in an Edinburgh McDonald’s disabled toilet has been jailed and placed on the sex offenders register.
James Hateley took the 13-year-old victim to the popular takeaway outlet in Edinburgh‘s Meadowbank area, where the pair were seen kissing while sitting in a booth.
Hateley, 30, then entered the disabled toilet with the child where he removed her clothing, touched her on the body before having sexual intercourse with her at around 6.30am on May 29, 2022.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the girl had met up with Hateley after leaving the supported accommodation she was living in at the time without permission from staff.
She subsequently returned to the residential unit the following day and during an interview with police officers she told them what had happened to her within the McDonald’s toilet.
Hateley was later arrested and he appeared from custody at the capital court last month where he pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in sexual activity with the child and penetrating her digitally and with his penis. He also admitted to an offence of failing to appear at a court hearing on March 12 last year.
Sheriff Julius Komorowski remanded Hateley in custody and added his name to the sex offenders register on an interim basis.
He was due to return to the dock at the capital court today, Tuesday, January 20, but the sheriff was told the social work report was not available.
Remand was continued and sentence was deferred further to next month. Hateley’s name will also be forwarded to Scottish Ministers for consideration of him being added to the list of those banned from working with children and vulnerable adults in the future.
Previously, prosecutor Chelsea Martin told the court the child had left her accommodation without permission leading to the police being alerted to her disappearance around 6pm on May 28, 2022.
Ms Martin said the girl made her way to the Capital’s Princes Street where she met Hateley and the pair “spent the rest of the evening and early morning walking around” the city centre.
The court heard Hateley had attempted to rent a hotel room but was unsuccessful and he and the girl ended up at the McDonald’s restaurant at London Road at around 6.30am the following morning.
Ms Martin said: “While in the locus, a McDonald's restaurant, they were cuddled up together within a booth, holding hands and kissing each other on the lips.
“The complainer then checked there was an available disabled toilet within the restaurant. The pair then entered the toilet where the accused locked the door.
“They began kissing and the complainer removed her joggers and took off her trainers.”
The court then heard sordid details of Hateley and the child engaging in sexual activity and the pair had intercourse within the disabled toilet. The child later went to the ladies toilet and Hateley, from Tranent, East Lothian, left the takeaway shortly afterwards.
The fiscal depute said the police eventually traced the young girl and during an interview “she disclosed what had happened” at the McDonald’s toilet.