David Glass

David Glass, a 67-year-old pensioner from Kilrenny, by Cellardyke in Fife, Scotland, has a long history of sexual offences against children. Previously convicted in 2014 at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for grooming and sexually abusing children between 2004 and 2012, Glass received further convictions in 2018 at Dundee Sheriff Court for similar attacks on three boys aged between three and 11. For those crimes, he was sentenced to five years in prison, a term later reduced, and he declared bankruptcy while incarcerated in Perth Prison, preventing a victim from pursuing compensation.

In his most recent case, heard at Dundee Sheriff Court, Glass was convicted of stalking a 14-year-old boy between January and February 2025. The offence involved repeatedly following the boy, attending areas where he worked uninvited and unsupervised by adults, providing gifts such as a toy to the boy's younger brother, touching the boy's shoulder, and watching him for nearly an hour from his car. The boy and his brother encountered Glass regularly in a rural work area, where conversations escalated into uncomfortable behaviour. A witness reported that Glass's visits to the yard increased significantly after the boy began frequenting the location, and on one occasion, Glass fled abruptly upon seeing another adult present.

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith, delivering the guilty verdict, accepted the boy's evidence as credible and reliable, noting that Glass's conduct became 'uncomfortable and downright weird.' The sheriff ruled the stalking sexually motivated, branding Glass a 'deviant' from whom society, particularly young boys, requires protection. He stated: 'It’s quite clear to my mind that he is a deviant from whom society requires to be protected, particularly young boys. The court will be considering a further period of imprisonment due to his similar degraded behaviour.'

The court heard defence claims of 'retrospective distress' only emerging after Glass's prior convictions became known, with a defence witness asserting the boys approached Glass for items. However, prosecutor Sarah High argued that Glass, given his background, ought to have known his interest in the boys would alarm them and their families. High established sufficient evidence for the stalking conviction over a threatening or abusive behaviour charge.

Sentencing was deferred until January 2026 for a social work report, with Glass placed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis. He was not subject to bail conditions and was ordered to appear in court. This conviction marks Glass's second at Dundee Sheriff Court, following reports of additional victims coming forward after his earlier offences. The case was reported by The Courier, highlighting Glass's pattern of predatory behaviour towards children in Fife.