A twisted Forfar man who pretended to be a mother online to chat to other perverts told undercover police “brutal” conversations about murdering and raping children were a “turn-on”.
From his Goosecroft home, Craig Laurence, 35, shared vile images of children being abused with other users of social media site Kik over a period of four years.
Police found 217 depraved images and three videos on devices after raiding the sales assistant’s house in 2020.
Almost half of them were of Category A definition, the most horrific type of child abuse image.
Officers also found conversations in which Laurence talked about the rape, torture and the murder of children.
Fake profile
Laurence pretended to be a woman known as Jill and would engage other disgusting Kik users by pretending to have a daughter.
He would invite them to share their sick fantasies about what acts they would carry out on the imaginary child.
An undercover police officer logged onto the site assuming the name Drew, before engaging Laurence in conversation.
Depute Fiscal Stewart Duncan told Dundee Sheriff Court: “On September 1, 2020 a search warrant was granted and the accused was found alone at his home.
“A phone was found and confirmed to have been used by the accused.
“The accused pretended to be a 23-year-old woman with a four-year-old girl.
“He engaged in explicit chat and extreme conversations with others, including officers, about the rape and murder of children.”
The court heard after he had engaged the undercover police officer, Laurence sent them a video of a young girl being abused.
Laurence – as Jill – discussed how being brutal was a turn-on and that he had videos of babies crying, the fiscal added.
Guilt admitted
Laurence admitted two charges on indictment.
He pled guilty that between July 10, 2016 and September 2, 2020, both dates inclusive, he took, or permitted to be taken or made indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children.
He accepted a second charge that between August 28, 2020 and September 2, 2020, at an address in Forfar, he distributed or showed indecent photos or pseudo photos of children.
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael deferred sentence on Laurence until February in order for reports to be prepared and placed him immediately on the Sex Offenders Register.
Laurence showed no emotion as he left court covered in a hat and facemask.
