A Dundee man who thought he was meeting a 13-year-old girl for sex started “sweating profusely” after realising he had been duped by vigilantes.
William Meek was rushed to hospital by ambulance with heart palpitations after being confronted by members of a paedophile hunter group.
The 47-year-old expected to meet “Paige”, who he believed to be a girl aged 13 he had met via the Tagged app, at Seagate Bus Station in Dundee.
He told “Paige” he would bring condoms so they could have sex but was unaware her profile had been set up as a trap by Groom Resisters Scotland.
Meek was instead confronted by an adult couple who livestreamed the meeting and his confession on the internet.
Depute fiscal Gavin Burton told Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday: “Tagged is an online dating and chat app. The group set up a profile in the name Paige.”
Shortly after it was set up, a message arrived from Meek, who said he was 47.
“Paige” told him she was 13 and lived with her mum in Perth. She repeated her age several times but Meek continued to engage in sexual conversation with her.
He said they could have “a full-on relationship” and told her: “A full-on relationship is when you have sex and make a baby.”
When “Paige” said she was worried about getting pregnant, Meek told her he had condoms and would bring them when they met.
Meek was confronted by the vigilantes at the bus station. He initially denied he planned to meet a child for sex.
“When he was challenged he accepted he was there to meet her and that it was wrong,” Mr Burton said.
“Police were called. The accused was sweating profusely. He told them he had a heart condition and suffered from palpitations.”
He was taken to Ninewells Hospital, and was later released and arrested.
Meek, of Polepark Road, Dundee, admitted that between July 7 and 14 2019 he sent written sexual communications to a person he believed to be a child.
He admitted that on July 14 he travelled to Seagate Bus Station with the intention of meeting a child and engaging in unlawful sexual activity.
Meek admitted two charges of subsequently breaching bail by having phones and computers he was not allowed to have.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael noted that Meek had broken bail conditions twice, including trying to hide a phone in front of police officers.
