A 55-year-old nurse who groped a 17-year-old during an indecent assault has been sentenced to probation and community service.

Reynaldo Tagic Estoque, of Central Promenade, Douglas, kissed the teenager’s neck, grabbed his crotch and asked: ’Do you want to have some fun?’

After pleading guilty to indecent assault on an adult, High Bailiff Jayne Hughes sentenced him to 120 hours community service and put him on probation for two years.

Mrs Hughes said that prison would not address the issues which had brought Estoque before the court.

The High Bailiff said: ’I bear in mind that any period of custody would be relatively short under the sentencing powers available to me and take into account that probation need to do some work with you. That work would not be available in prison.’

Estoque was also put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for two years and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the victim.

We previously reported how Estoque knew his victim socially but met him by chance on September 17 in Strand Street.

He offered to buy the teenager food so they went to Victoria Grill where they talked about music.

Estoque then invited the teenager to his flat saying he had a guitar and piano there.

Once there, he was said to have sat on the bed next to the victim and started making suggestive comments.

The victim moved away and started to play the piano but Estoque followed him and started sniffing his face and kissing his neck.

The victim then told Estoque he was not interested but he was then said to have grabbed the teenager’s groin area and said: ’Do you want to have some fun?’

The teenager said he had to leave to get a bus but Estoque then grabbed his crotch area again.

They both left the flat with Estoque offering the complainant a lift but he declined.

Estoque was then said to have insisted on walking with the teenager to Lord Street and asked him for a date the following week. The matter was later reported to police and Estoque was arrested.

When interviewed by police Estoque answered ’no comment’ to questions.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon read out a victim impact statement in court, written on June 15, in which the 17-year-old said that he still struggled to sleep and had nightmares about the incident.

The teenager said that he was now seeing a therapist and was wary of going out alone in Douglas in case he bumped into Estoque.

He said that he had found it difficult to concentrate in his last school year and was hoping his exam results had not been affected.

statement

At the end of the statement he said: ’I would never want this to happen to anyone else.’

A probation report recommended a combination of probation and community service as an appropriate sentence as this would allow for work to be done with Estoque and keep him under supervision for a long period.

Defence advocate Deborah Myerscough said: ’This was an inappropriate touching of a young adult.

’Mr Estoque can’t do anything further other than to apologise for his behaviour.

’He has reached over 50 and never been in trouble.

’I don’t believe he is likely to be seen before the court again.

’He has ruined his good name and put his career in jeopardy. If he goes to custody he stands to lose his employment. He knows nothing else but being a nurse. It is his calling.’

Ms Myerscough pointed out that Estoque lived in a one-room bedsit so it had not been a case of him luring the teenager into a bedroom.

A letter of reference was handed in from Adorn Domiciliary Care.

The advocate said that it appeared that Estoque had treated the meeting like a date after he had taken the teenager for food then back to his home.

She continued: ’This will no doubt go before his governing body. He has been under supervision at work since the offences. He doesn’t work with young people.’

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes said that she had taken into account Estoque’s guilty plea, which had meant the victim would not have to come to court, and his lack of previous convictions at age 55.

She said that she accepted that this was a situation which Estoque had misread rather than a deliberate attempt to groom, though there was an element of grooming.

Estoque was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.