Jail for man who sexually assaulted Inverness teenager
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An 18-month prison sentence has been handed down to a Portuguese man for the attack in 2015.
Inverness Sheriff Court previously heard how the terrified 14-year-old victim was found sitting on bridge railings after the assault in an Inverness guest house.
Joachim Bravo (41) was staying in Larach Beag in Telford Street, Inverness when the attack happened and was charged with the assault after DNA linked him to the crime.
He was released on bail after an initial court appearance but returned to Portugal and was extradited back to Scotland in June this year and remanded in custody.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir previously told the court that it was early on a Saturday evening that a group of youngsters aged 11 to 15 were in the city.
He said they encountered Bravo in Brown Street when he stopped to chat to them.
Mr Weir went on: “A short time later, they went to a chip shop in Telford Street and the 14-year-old victim stayed outside while the others went in. While she was there, she again encountered Bravo who spoke to her and she went to his room, having requested to use his toilet.
“There he placed his hand under her clothing, inside her bra and handled and kissed her breasts. The others came out to find her absent. They waited for five minutes, at which point she came running out of the B&B crying.
“A short time later a member of the public phoned the police to report concerns for the teenager as she was now sitting on the railings of the Black Bridge visibly upset.
“Shortly after, her sister phoned the police as she had received a phone call from her regarding the incident. Two constables went to the bridge where they found her.”
Mr Weir added that Bravo was detained on suspicion of sexual assault the following day and DNA samples were taken, which subsequently matched swabs taken from the girl.
Solicitor Willie Young said today that Bravo accepted his guilt but had not known what age the girl was.
"She had been rolling cigarettes and he believed that she was older than she was," he said.
Bravo admitted breaching bail by failing to appear to answer the charge at Inverness Sheriff Court but Mr Young said that, six days before that court appearance, his brother had been killed in a motor cycle accident.
"Following the death of his brother he returned to Portugal and he worked on his father's farm," he said.
"He concedes he made no attempt to contact myself or the courts on this matter."
Sheriff Neilson jailed him for 18 months backdated to June 7 when he was remanded.
He was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.
