Embattled creator behind viral Wonka Experience now a registered sex offender — blames media attention for harassing woman with lewd pics
The creator of the offensively bad Scottish Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience is now a sex offender for harassing a woman with lewd photos, as he blames the backlash of the failed attraction for his actions.
Billy Coull referred to himself as a “wolf” looking to “prey” on the woman as he used several different social media accounts to repeatedly send the unconsented messages, according to the BBC.
The 36-year-old former charity worker referred to the unidentified woman as “sugar lips,” “my wee charm,” and “sexy” despite her demanding an end to the relentless contact.
The bombardment of the messages began in March, just weeks after Coull had to shut down the Roald Dahl-inspired children’s feature following reports the $45-a-person show left children to tears.
Coull first contacted the woman using a fake Facebook account before shifting over to Snapchat and WhatsApp between March 26 and July 2.
The messages took a dark turn as Coull began sending photos of himself in his underwear along with more explicit shots.
“I’m the wolf and you are my prey, I will get you,” he wrote in one message sent on July 2, according to the BBC.
The message was reported to police and Coull was arrested.
He was found guilty of abusive behavior in Glasgow Sheriff Court on Nov. 18.
Along with being registered as a sex offender, Coull was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work and placed under supervision for a year, instead of jail time.
“She told you to stop and you failed to desist and sent further messages of a menacing nature,” Sheriff Mark Maguire said during Coull’s sentencing. “She told you to desist from using sexual language but despite this, you sent intimate images and messages of an alarming character.”
Coull admitted to the lewd behavior but said the extra media attention and scrutiny he received from his failed attraction caused his mental health to decline.
“He has been distressed with the proceedings and will never do something of this nature again,” lawyer Neil Stewart said in court Monday, The Scottish Sun reported.
Coull created the disastrous event through his own House of Illuminati firm.
Outraged parents hoping for an immersive fun experience based on an AI-generated ad, were left inside a near-empty warehouse with scarce decorations compared to the advertised candy-filled attraction.
The embattled director blamed the disaster on “holographic technology” not arriving on time, bizarrely claiming that the Frye-Festival-like event would have looked as promoted with the tech.
Police were called as parents felt scammed by the “absolute shambles of an event” and gathered to demand refunds.
Coull promised to repay those who purchased tickets and waited in line for over an hour, he said in a Facebook post.
“I am truly sorry for any upset and disappointment caused at the weekend. Refunds have been issued and will continue to do so. This was an event gone wrong, The House of Illuminati will NOT be holding any other events in the foreseeable future,” the post said.
