Investment broker-turned travel influencer sexually assaulted client in flat

A travel influencer sexually assaulted a woman in a flat.

Property professional Curtis Heighes forced himself on the woman, who he had met through his employment, at her home.

The investment broker and travel influencer, who has tens of thousands of followers on his Curtis Unchained social media accounts, denied abusing the woman, who can't be named for legal reasons.

But the 25-year-old amateur boxer, who won a title earlier this, was convicted after a trial of abusing the woman at the property in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on November 17, 2023.

The jury found him guilty of kissing her, picking her up, carrying her to a bed, placing her on the bed, lying on top of her and performing a sex act on her without her consent.

Heighes of Bearsden, near Glasgow, returned to the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday, Tuesday, December 9, 2025, to be sentenced.

Defence KC Murray Macara told the court that Heighes is originally from London and had moved to Scotland to help care for his grandparents.

He said Heighes, who was 23 at the time of the attack, retained the support of his mum, gran and girlfriend, despite the conviction.

And he said Heighes, who has one previous conviction from his days in England, continued to maintain his innocence.

He said: "He continues to deny his guilt in relation to the offence.

"Clearly there is a limit to what can be said in mitigation."

The lawyer said his employer had provided a reference for him, which "spoke extremely highly of him both as an employee and in general."

He added: "His girlfriend, mother and gran expressed surprise he should be convicted of such an offence.

"It is totally out of character. His employer spoke of his astonishment that he should be convicted of such an offence."

He asked Sheriff Gillian Craig to spare Heighes jail, saying a prison sentence would come as a blow to his gran, as he still cares for her following the death of his grandfather.

And he said Heighes had been prescribed medication to treat anxiety.

After leaving the bench to take time to consider what sentence to impose, Sheriff Craig spared Heighes jail.

She placed him on a three-year-long Community Payback Order (CPO), with the maximum number of hours of unpaid work.

He will be supervised by social workers for three years and has to complete 300 hours of unpaid work in the same time. 

He was also placed on a Restriction Of Liberty Order, which will see him fitted with an electronic tag and having to remain within his home between 8pm and 6.30pm for eight months.

As part of the CPO he has to attend the Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C) programme, which helps male sex offenders change their ways, and is banned from entering clients' homes unaccompanied.

He was also banned from approaching or contacting his victim as part of a 10-year Non-Harassment Order and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.

Earlier this year Heighes won the QFC Super Welterweight Title.

QFC is billed online as "A fight club for everyone".

Heighes is listed on the website of Glasgow-based firm Let Property as a Property investment broker.