A GREENOCK man who had been charged with indecently assaulting two teenage girls at a hotel has been acquitted by a jury after he denied that his actions were sexually motivated.

Robert Robertson told a trial at Greenock Sheriff Court that he kissed and cuddled the two young complainers on various dates in 2022.

He acknowledged that his behaviour may have come across as 'creepy'.

The 47-year-old also accepted that he told a different girl, with whom he was accused of communicating indecently years earlier, that she looked 'busty'.

However, he rejected suggestions that the reported inappropriate conduct was carried out for the purpose of sexual gratification - claiming instead that he was trying to be 'friendly' and 'supportive'.

The jury of 12 men and three women took around three hours to reach a not guilty verdict on one of the indictment charges, while not proven decisions were returned on the other two, relating to the alleged hotel sex assaults.

Prosecutors had claimed that Robertson repeatedly commented on a teenage girl's breasts, asked her about her physical appearance and sexual experience, and suggested that he would like to watch her while she dressed.

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He was alleged to have told the youngster that he could 'spy' on her before asking: "Are your boobs sore? You look busty."

Giving evidence earlier this week, Robertson said of one of the alleged remarks: "It was a comment made in jest. It was something I probably should have been more mindful of."

The Crown claimed that Robertson placed his hands on a different complainer's hips, kissed her on the head and groped her, over a four-month period two years ago.

The witness, who provided evidence via video link, told the court that she "completely froze" after one alleged incident, and added that Robertson made her feel "uncomfortable".

The other young witness said that on one occasion, Robertson grabbed her waist from behind with both hands, while on another occasion he blew on the back of her neck.

Robertson was also alleged to have attempted to kiss the girl on the lips before she moved her head, with the complainer telling the trial that the incidents left her feeling "uneasy" and "unsettled".

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Earlier in proceedings, the Crown accepted not guilty pleas to two further indictment charges alleging that Robertson had sexually assaulted a primary school-aged child and directed sexual verbal communications towards another complainer ‘for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming’ them.

After taking to the witness stand, Robertson told the court that he kissed one of the girls on the forehead and hugged her on one occasion, but claimed it was 'just friendly'.

Defence advocate James McCrone asked his client: "Do you think this was an appropriate thing for a man of your age to do to a [teenage] girl?"

Robertson replied: "At the time, I would have thought it was appropriate, I was trying to be supportive."

He was asked: "Was this sexual in any way?"

Robertson told the court: "No."

He agreed that he put his hands on the complainer's hips on a separate occasion, and said: "In hindsight, if she felt uncomfortable, then it is not appropriate but I hadn't realised she felt that way at the time."

Addressing Robertson, procurator fiscal depute Maria Murdoch said: "Overall, you seem to accept in your evidence that most of these things happened.

"I have to put it to you that you knew exactly what you were doing, that these girls were young and you took advantage of them."

Robertson, of Robertson Street, was acquitted of all the charges.