Under age sex shame of takeaway boss

Ajay Varma ran Smokey Jay’s, an American-style burger joint in Laburnum Road, Viewpark.

Customers in on-line reviews praised the high quality food and “banter” there, unaware that he was having sex with a girl aged just 14.

Varma was charged after he began stalking the girl last year, posting indecent images of her on the internet and threatening her and her friends.

Varma (43), of Robslee Road, Glasgow, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court where he admitted having sex with the girl at the takeaway and elsewhere on various occasions between June 2015 and May last year when she was aged 14 and 15.

He also admitted taking indecent pictures of the girl and sharing these, and causing her fear or alarm by stalking her in May and June last year.

The court heard Varma phoned the girl, sent her text messages and “tracked her location”. He humiliated her by posting sexual images of her on the internet and sending them to her relatives and friends.

He kept watch on her, followed her and shouted abuse and threats. He watched the girl and her friends in a park and even followed the girl and her gran on a bus to Bellshill.

Varma also created a fake Facebook account in the victim’s name and posted messages on it.

After he pleaded guilty to the charges, Sheriff Daniel Kelly called for background reports and an assessment of the risk Varma is likely to pose to the public.

Sentence was deferred until later this month. Varma was put on the sex offenders’ register and remanded in custody.

Smokey Jay’s opened in 2014 and customers raved about it on the Trip Advisor review site.

One said: “I’ve been to loads of burger places in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and this one blows them out of the water. Value for money, great tasting food and the banter is just as good.”

Another wrote: “Ajay is hilarious and it’s worth visiting just to listen to his patter.”

The takeway closed last summer.