Aberdeen Driver Jailed 12 Years for Assaulting 14-Year-Old

A 35-year-old delivery driver from Aberdeen has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after offering her a lift home in the early hours of January 15, 2024. Victor Popa, who was unknown to the victim, targeted the teenager in the Gordons Mills Place area of the city and carried out the attack inside his vehicle.

Popa approached the girl, who was trying to get home safely, and convinced her to enter his car under the pretense of providing transportation. According to court proceedings, he used significant force during the assault, which prosecutors stated occurred while the victim was unconscious. The incident left the girl injured and deeply traumatized.

Following the attack, Police Scotland launched a thorough investigation that relied on CCTV footage, text messages, and other digital evidence to identify Popa as the perpetrator. He was arrested just two days later and charged shortly thereafter. Popa stood trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, where a jury found him guilty based on the prosecution's presentation of the evidence. On Wednesday, he received his sentence at the same court, along with indefinite placement on the sex...