A Perth pensioner who tried to groom what he thought was a 13-year-old girl has been banned from playparks.
Michael McFadden gave his victim online sex lessons and sent her obscene photos, but told her he wasn’t a paedophile.
The 73-year-old asked the girl to wear stockings when they met up.
The youngster was actually a decoy account operated by internet paedophile hunters Forbidden Scotland.
Members of the group confronted McFadden in Perth’s North Inch and broadcast the encounter live on Facebook.
McFadden has since suffered “general social rejection,” Perth Sheriff Court heard.
He narrowly avoided prison after admitting that between September 1 and 26 2020, at his then-home in Woodland Crescent, Scone, he attempted to sexually communicate with a child.
Sheriff considered jail
Sheriff William Wood told McFadden: “Of its type, this is quite a serious offence.
“What is described here is someone who persistently tried to groom someone you thought was a 13-year-old girl into performing sex acts for your own sexual benefit.
“The fact that it wasn’t a 13-year-old girl does not lessen your conduct and I have given some serious thought to sending you to prison.
“However, I am satisfied that this is not the only way this can be dealt with.”
McFadden, of Dunkeld Road, was ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work and placed on supervision for three years.
He was put on the Sex Offenders Register and ordered to stay away from parks or playgrounds “where children were likely to be”.
He will also have severely restricted access to the internet.
The sheriff told McFadden: “It does seem that this happened at a time when particular forces were at play but that does not give you any excuse for the way you acted.
“In fact, in some ways it makes things worse.”
‘General social rejection’
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, told the court: “Mr McFadden regrets his behaviour and he in no way wants to shrink away from what he has done.
“It is quite clear that the result of this has been general social rejection and he realises that is his own fault.”
Mr Holmes said he co-operated fully with police since his arrest.
Fiscal depute Alistair McDermid told Perth Sheriff Court the decoy account, named Zoe Herd, was set up by Forbidden Scotland member Barry Coates and group founder Glenn Stewart.
“This is a voluntary online child protection group that proactively identify people who seek out children on the internet for the purposes of sexual gratification.
“Decoys operating within the group had to adhere to a set of rules.
“These included not instigating or leading conversations and clearly identifying the age of the child – in this case a 13-year-old female.”
First contact
Mr McDermid said: “On September 1 2020, Mr Coates placed the decoy profile of Zoe Herd onto social media platforms ChatIW and Kik.
“That day, the accused made contact with the decoy and was informed that it’s age was 13.”
The fiscal depute told the court: “This did not deter the accused, who continued to communicate over a period of time.”
During the exchanges, McFadden suggest the decoy could call him uncle and that she could be his niece.
He also told her he was masturbating as he chatted.
McFadden later repeatedly asked to meet up with Zoe, and asked: “If you were in my flat, what would you do if I kissed you?”
He told the decoy account he was scared someone would find about them and her mum might call the police, before sending another photo of his penis.
Meet-up
McFadden arranged to meet the decoy at Perth’s North Inch on September 26.
“He told her not to wear tights as he didn’t like them and suggested she wear hold-ups, which he explained were like stockings,” said the fiscal depute.
McFadden continued to chat with Zoe, until he came face-to-face with the Forbidden Scotland team.
Mr McDermid said that the encounter was livestreamed on Facebook. “During the broadcast, the accused made several comments that would infer knowledge of the offence,” he said.
Screenshots and videos were passed to police by the paedophile hunter group.
McFadden was arrested and told cops: “Just stupid.”
The paedophile hunters: Perth trial reveals secrets of Facebook vigilantes
