Too far?

[Peevemor]

A retired scientist has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register after he was convicted of giving a young woman a sex toy as a gift.

James Panton, 61, handed over the item to the woman along with a handwritten note after he found out she had split up from her boyfriend.


The woman, who cannot be identified due to legal reasons, initially believed the device was “a back massager” until a work colleague looked it up on Google.

She was left stunned after finding out what the item was actually intended for and after speaking to her family the police were called in.


Panton, a retired biochemical scientist, denied an allegation of communicating indecently with the woman and stood trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in August.


The victim told the court Panton regularly visited her workplace and in November 2019 he had handed over bag to her with the device and a note inside


Panton wrote on the envelope that she should open it in her “own personal and private space”.


The woman said she felt it was a “nice gesture” at first and later believed it was a “back massager”.


She told the court that she later showed the device to a colleague who found the same item for sale as a vibrator on the erotic shopping website Lovehoney.


Panton, of Dunbar, East Lothian, told the court he had heard the woman had broken up with her boyfriend and he “was trying to instil in her self-worth and raise her self-image.”


He bought the item from the Amazon website but denied the gift was aimed at giving him sexual gratification.


The father-of-three said the device could be used to massage “sore muscles” as it advertised but also acknowledged knowing the item could also be used for “sensual purposes”.


Following the evidence Sheriff Adrian Fraser convicted Panton of communicating indecently with the woman by sending a card and package to her place of work which was of an indecent and sexual nature on November 16, 2019.


Sentence was deferred for reports and Sheriff Fraser sentenced him to a nine month supervision order.


Panton was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the same duration.



https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/pervert-east-lothian-scientist-gave-woman-a-sex-toy-after-she-split-with-boyfriend-3432038

Now I think we can all agree that it was a creepy and misplaced thing to do, but does he deserve to be put on the sex offenders' register? There's obviously a bit more to it than has been reported, but if there is it's nothing that he's been convicted of.

What are folks' thoughts?

[1 8 7 5]

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/pervert-east-lothian-scientist-gave-woman-a-sex-toy-after-she-split-with-boyfriend-3432038

Now I think we can all agree that it was a creepy and misplaced thing to do, but does he deserve to be put on the sex offenders' register? There's obviously a bit more to it than has been reported, but if there is it's nothing that he's been convicted of.

What are folks' thoughts?


He sent a vibrator to a young girl in his christian group. He knew what he was sending, and he suggested she explore her body in light of her recent break up with her boyfriend. She was in her early 20s, he in his 60s.

100% unacceptable, and should be on the register imho.

Heres the rub, the guy is the most polite, respectful person you could ever meet. A gentleman in every aspect. He was a work colleague. Very well known and respected. Everyone, and I mean everyone at my workplace is astounded at whats happened since he had to take early retirement as he didnt get over the death of his wife.

Im actually gutted this thread has been started.

[Ozyhibby]

That’s what the register is for. It’s to keep an eye on people who exhibit potentially worrying behaviour. This fits that criteria perfectly I would have thought.


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[CMurdoch]

He sent a vibrator to a young girl in his christian group. He knew what he was sending, and he suggested she explore her body in light of her recent break up with her boyfriend. She was in her early 20s, he in his 60s.

100% unacceptable, and should be on the register imho.

Heres the rub, the guy is the most polite, respectful person you could ever meet. A gentleman in every aspect. He was a work colleague. Very well known and respected. Everyone, and I mean everyone at my workplace is astounded at whats happened since he had to take early retirement as he didnt get over the death of his wife.

Im actually gutted this thread has been started.

That's a good post and suggests the matter could have been better dealt with even if it was just not delivering the guy into the hands of the press at it's conclusion. The important issue was one of public safety and that can be met without involving the media.

[Stairway 2 7]

Absolute beastly behaviour, great guy or not. How would you react if the old pervert had done it to your daughter

[Peevemor]

Absolute beastly behaviour, great guy or not. How would you react if the old pervert had done it to your daughter

I would definitely have strong words at very least. I'm not sure whether I'd go to the police with it though - that's why I'm interested in other people's opinions.

[Stairway 2 7]

I would definitely have strong words at very least. I'm not sure whether I'd go to the police with it though - that's why I'm interested in other people's opinions.

I hope I'd go to the police, but fear he'd wish I did if I caught him.

[Smartie]

I graduated in 2002 and in the first few places I worked there were some cracking stories about what used to go on at Christmas night outs "back in the day".

Nowadays you'd be struck off for most of it, and rightly so.

Interesting Secret Santa gifts changing hands were a regular occurrence.

This case in point - it is just something you simply shouldn't do. We all have a mistake in us, and it sounds like this is an aberration from the gentleman in question on this occasion but it remains something that you simply cannot and must not do.

He can't have any complaints in my opinion.


A friend of mine is in the police and works in the supervision of sex offenders in Fife. They make for a fairly mixed bag. There are the terrifying and highly dangerous ones who the police visit to try and spot the early signs that the offenders are likely to offend again. They then have the other ones - the ones who slapped someone on the arse at the Christmas night out. Unacceptable, and someone clearly felt hurt enough to want to take it further but the guilty party is absolutely mortified about their behaviour, very remorseful and no risk to the public whatsoever. They all have their place on the sex offenders list and do require monitoring.

[Peevemor]

I graduated in 2002 and in the first few places I worked there were some cracking stories about what used to go on at Christmas night outs "back in the day".

Nowadays you'd be struck off for most of it, and rightly so.

Interesting Secret Santa gifts changing hands were a regular occurrence.

This case in point - it is just something you simply shouldn't do. We all have a mistake in us, and it sounds like this is an aberration from the gentleman in question on this occasion but it remains something that you simply cannot and must not do.

He can't have any complaints in my opinion.


A friend of mine is in the police and works in the supervision of sex offenders in Fife. They make for a fairly mixed bag. There are the terrifying and highly dangerous ones who the police visit to try and spot the early signs that the offenders are likely to offend again. They then have the other ones - the ones who slapped someone on the arse at the Christmas night out. Unacceptable, and someone clearly felt hurt enough to want to take it further but the guilty party is absolutely mortified about their behaviour, very remorseful and no risk to the public whatsoever. They all have their place on the sex offenders list and do require monitoring.

That was the first thing that I thought of on reading the report.

[Wilson]

Inappropriate gift. Return it to sender with some stern words. Police involvement not required.

Had it been a sustained period of unwanted attention culminating in an inappropriate gift and the guy refusing to back off then I'd have took it further.

If there is not more to the story than has been reported then common sense hasn't been applied.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Definitely creepy, but I wonder if the name in the paper and local gossip would have been commensurate. Obviously not able to give a female point of view. I know someone who was punted from a senior position at my work for an awful lot more than this but didn't get a much more severe sentence.

[H18S NX]

What makes a man giving any female a vibrator appropriate?

[lord bunberry]

The sex offenders register is the best place for him. What sort of person thinks that doing something like that is remotely acceptable. I’d be checking up a bit more on what he’s been up to.

[Peevemor]

What makes a man giving any female a vibrator appropriate?It was obviously inappropriate. Personally I'm surprised that it was considered to be criminal.

[Pretty Boy]

The sex offenders register is the best place for him. What sort of person thinks that doing something like that is remotely acceptable. I’d be checking up a bit more on what he’s been up to.

That's where I am having read a bit more about the story.

As posted above the sex offenders register contains a broad church of people guilty of a range of offences.

This guy has done something that is wholly inappropriate and if you read the message in the card he sent that accompanied the gift it is clear there was a sexual element to his actions despite his protestations to the contrary. My concern in a situation like this would be escalation.

One of the things taken into consideration when sentencing any offender is their awareness of victim impact and their likelihood of reoffending. Given the guys defence amounted to 'I didn't get off doing it' and 'I'm impulsive and a giver' I'm not sure he scored too highly on those fronts.

[lord bunberry]

That's where I am having read a bit more about the story.

As posted above the sex offenders register contains a broad church of people guilty of a range of offences.

This guy has done something that is wholly inappropriate and if you read the message in the card he sent that accompanied the gift it is clear there was a sexual element to his actions despite his protestations to the contrary. My concern in a situation like this would be escalation.
Im struggling to think of any circumstances where this would be appropriate. Even if they were close friends it’s not something you’d do. In answer to the op’s question, no I don’t think it’s too far. As you rightly point out what would his next move have been if the woman hadn’t gone to the police.

[Smartie]

Im struggling to think of any circumstances where this would be appropriate. Even if they were close friends it’s not something you’d do. In answer to the op’s question, no I don’t think it’s too far. As you rightly point out what would his next move have been if the woman hadn’t gone to the police.

It depends on the prior relationship between the pair, the sort of conversations they'd have and any reasons he might have to think that this might be a wanted gift, I imagine.

Stuff like the age difference between the pair and the fact that he knew her through a Christian group (?) would suggest that the chances of this being in any way appropriate would be very slim indeed. The message sounds plain weird as well.

It appears that a creepy man just let the mask slip.

Men and women in workplaces and the like can have weird relationships with all sorts of dirty banter that are actually indulged in by all parties. I mentioned the "Secret Santa" thing higher up the page - if some context wasn't taken into consideration then I could imagine many thousands of people might expect a knock on the door at some point in the future to explain the story behind certain gifts.

[Peevemor]

Im struggling to think of any circumstances where this would be appropriate. Even if they were close friends it’s not something you’d do. In answer to the op’s question, no I don’t think it’s too far. As you rightly point out what would his next move have been if the woman hadn’t gone to the police.Nobody's suggesting that it's appropriate.

[Skol]

It is clearly inappropriate but I does it warrant being on the sex offenders list. I am not sure.

The secret Santa thing still goes on and I have seen one about five years ago. I was in receipt of one myself albeit c35 years ago

I once had to terminate a contract for someone who sent an inappropriate joke email to someone else. The person bizarrely later asked for a reference

[Pretty Boy]

It is clearly inappropriate but I does it warrant being on the sex offenders list. I am not sure.

The secret Santa thing still goes on and I have seen one about five years ago. I was in receipt of one myself albeit c35 years ago

I once had to terminate a contract for someone who sent an inappropriate joke email to someone else. The person bizarrely later asked for a reference

It was mentioned above but I think context is appropriate.

When I was at uni I worked part time in the stock room at Next. To say the banter between the guys in there and women of all ages who worked on the shop floor was risqué would be underplaying it massively. It was close to anything goes and the nights out were always worth attending. In that environment a dodgy secret Santa gift would have been laughed off or more than likely reciprocated.

In this instance the woman in question obviously felt the situation couldn't be dealt with simply by confronting the man. If she escalated it to the police it suggests she felt that it went beyond a bit of a joke and there was a more nefarious intent.

As someone else said above it seems a bit of a creep let the mask slip and as I said could that inappropriateness escalate? Putting a safeguard in place to monitor his future behaviour seems a sensible thing to do imo.

[Peevemor]

It was mentioned above but I think context is appropriate.

When I was at uni I worked part time in the stock room at Next. To say the banter between the guys in there and women of all ages who worked on the shop floor was risqué would be underplaying it massively. It was close to anything goes and the nights out were always worth attending. In that environment a dodgy secret Santa gift would have been laughed off or more than likely reciprocated.

In this instance the woman in question obviously felt the situation couldn't be dealt with simply by confronting the man. If she escalated it to the police it suggests she felt that it went beyond a bit of a joke and there was a more nefarious intent.

As someone else said above it seems a bit of a creep let the mask slip and as I said could that inappropriateness escalate? Putting a safeguard in place to monitor his future behaviour seems a sensible thing to do imo.Would a restraining order not possibly be more effective?

[Stairway 2 7]

Would a restraining order not possibly be more effective?

I think the register and a decent fine would have been appropriate. Giving a young girl a dildo and telling her to explore her body, Jesus christ so creepy weirdo behaviour. Think metoo has passed some by

[lord bunberry]

Nobody's suggesting that it's appropriate.
That’s true and I wasn’t trying to suggest otherwise.

[lord bunberry]

It depends on the prior relationship between the pair, the sort of conversations they'd have and any reasons he might have to think that this might be a wanted gift, I imagine.

Stuff like the age difference between the pair and the fact that he knew her through a Christian group (?) would suggest that the chances of this being in any way appropriate would be very slim indeed. The message sounds plain weird as well.

It appears that a creepy man just let the mask slip.

Men and women in workplaces and the like can have weird relationships with all sorts of dirty banter that are actually indulged in by all parties. I mentioned the "Secret Santa" thing higher up the page - if some context wasn't taken into consideration then I could imagine many thousands of people might expect a knock on the door at some point in the future to explain the story behind certain gifts.
I think the relationship between the two of them is the key. The fact that she went to the police suggests a massive misjudgment at the very best, but more likely in my opinion it represents a more predatory type behaviour.