3:29pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Neil Hunter
A MARRIED man is facing a possible prison sentence for groping a schoolgirl and bombarding her with vulgar text messages.
William "Don" McAllister was today found guilty after a trial of four serious sexual offences against the teenager in 2008.
On three separate occasions, while alone with the girl, the 60-year-old touched her inappropriately, Teesside Crown Court heard.
He also made a sexual comment, unzipped his trousers and tried to force the youngster to touch him, a jury heard during a five-day trial.
McAllister denied three charges of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
He will be sentenced next month after background reports have been prepared for the judge by a Probation Service official.
Judge Peter Bowers gave him bail until the next appearance, and said: "I'm giving you no promises. I will decide then what happens to you."
McAllister maintained throughout his trial that the girl was lying about him touching her, and claimed that she often pestered him.
He claimed any sexual text messages she received were intended for his wife, and may have been sent to the schoolgirl by mistake.
Christopher Attwooll, prosecuting, ridiculed McAllister's account and accused him of taking advantage of her vulnerability.
McAllister appeared to sob a little and wipe away tears as he spoke about his wife when giving evidence to the jury earlier this week.
He said he did not think any of the text messages he sent were inappropriate, and claimed he had not intended them to go to the girl.
Two of the messages said "I love you" - in French and in German - at a time when the teenager was studying for language exams.
McAllister denied that was a coincidence, and insisted they were meant for his wife, even though she did not speak either language.
The jury of seven men and five women took just one-and-a-half hours of deliberations to find the former diving club official guilty this afternoon.
McAllister, of Millholme Close, Brotton, near Saltburn, east Cleveland, will return to court to be sentenced by Judge Bowers on April 12.
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