A 38-year-old bus driver, Christopher McIntosh, has been found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl while driving a late-night passenger bus.

The court heard that McIntosh, who drove for Moffat and Williamson between St Andrews and Glenrothes, would meet the girl on several occasions, and engage in sexual activity while driving the bus with no other passengers on board. The incidents occurred between March 20 and April 10, 2023.

CCTV footage from the bus showed McIntosh and the girl cramped in the driver's cab during a two-hour journey. The footage also revealed that they were using a mobile phone while McIntosh was driving, sometimes at speeds of nearly 50 miles per hour.

McIntosh was also found guilty of careless driving after a trial. The court heard that he was driving with the girl sitting in the driver's seat, with his arm around her, and repeatedly looking at his mobile phone.

"The Crown argue that there are risks to driving a large vehicle while using a mobile phone, whether there are passengers or not," said fiscal depute Michael Robertson. "Looking at a mobile phone is a distraction and a risk, and having a passenger in the cab whilst driving the bus is a risk."

Sheriff John Rafferty deferred sentence on McIntosh for the preparation of social work reports and added his details to the Sex Offenders Register. He was granted bail.

It is understood that McIntosh was aware of the girl's age, as she had initially shown her child's identity card to obtain free travel on the bus.