A Bulgarian sex offender has avoided jail after assaulting a teenage girl in Dundee. Ilia Belov, 23, and his 20-year-old sister Nadjedzha Belova have been sentenced after attacking girls during an incident in the Lochee area of the city in August 2025.
They appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday (October 9). Belov was placed on the sex offenders register but did not receive a prison sentence. The court heard how he attacked a 12-year-old girl and behaved in a "threatening or abusive manner" towards four girls aged between 12 and 14.
Attack began with sexual remarks
It was heard how the attack started when Belov made sexual remarks to a 12-year-old as she walked towards a bus stop with some other girls. Giving evidence by videolink, the girl, who is now 14, recalled: "He kept saying, `come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time'."
She said his words made her feel "dead angry" and she turned around and started shouting at him. Belov then phoned his sister, who arrived in the area shortly after and attacked a member of the group.
Belov then pushed the 12-year-old, causing her to hit her head on a metal handrail. However, she then pulled out an axe and a knife that had been hidden in her waistband. Footage of this went viral on social media as people were led to believe that the Bulgarians were the victims of a racially-motivated attack.
Sheriff rejects Belov's account
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith had earlier rejected Belov's version of events, describing it as "neither credible nor reliable". Belov denied making sexualised remarks to the girls and told the court they had been saying derogatory things to him.
However, Sheriff Niven-Smith said it was "inevitable" that something would happen when he chose to follow the girls. He added that Belov's actions were "intended to intimidate" despite not being "pre-planned or pre-meditated".
The sheriff told Belov: "The victims have sustained psychological trauma from your actions." He added: "The evidence was clear that you came upon (the victims) by happenstance. Once you made the remarks, you stopped, turned and followed the girls. You were 22 years old, and a stranger to the girls."
Alternative sentence imposed
It was concluded that Belov's comments towards the girl were for "sexual gratification". However, the pair were spared jail due to their age, work history and lack of other previous or ongoing offences.
Belov was sentenced to 18 months of supervision, 300 hours of unpaid work, and had his name placed on the sex offenders register for 18 months. Meanwhile, Belova was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work. The sheriff said he imposed an alternative sentence that "primarily considered rehabilitation".
