Sex offender raped teenager in his van on Perthshire road
A convicted sex offender has admitted raping a teenage girl on a Perthshire road after offering her a lift home in his van.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Kevin Bryant's 18-year-old victim was left so traumatised she was unable to go out alone.
The 21-year-old had initially denied the attack on 24 November last year.
Judge Lord Doherty deferred sentence until next month for reports and placed Bryant on the sex offenders register.
The court heard that the teenager had attended a birthday party at an inn in a Perthshire village and Bryant had been in the public bar.
The 21-year-old, whose previous convictions include a sexual assault, was on the sex offenders register at the time.
His victim had not known Bryant previously but he was with another man whom she did know and who introduced him.
She later got into the self-employed gardener's van and Bryant drove off. Bryant touched her leg but she told him to concentrate on his driving.
He then stopped the vehicle although the teenager was unsure of the exact location.
Advocate depute David Nicolson, prosecuting, said Bryant got out, walked round to the passenger side of the van and got in before pushing her so that she was lying on her back.
Bryant sexually assaulted her before forcing himself on her without her consent.
The prosecutor said: "She continually said 'no' but he ignored her.
"She could not believe what was happening to her. She was in shock."
"She was unable to move but was continually sounding the horn of the vehicle and telling the accused to stop."
Afterwards Bryant got back into the driver's seat and drove off with the teenager still in the van.
Bryant stopped the van to pick up the other man he had been at the pub with, who noticed that the teenager appeared upset.
The 21-year-old took them to a hotel car park and told the teenager to get a taxi and gave her £5 before driving off.
The girl got a taxi to a relative's home and told them about the incident.
During an interview with police Bryant denied he had ever met the teenager and was adamant that she had never been in his van.
Mr Nicolson told the court that the teenager has not attended work since the incident and had stated that she can no longer go out alone.