A Fife man who sent an explicit picture of himself to a decoy underage girl has been warned by a sheriff he is on “exceptionally thin ice”.
Connor Webster, 24, also communicated indecently with the adult from a so-called paedophile hunter group, who was pretending to be a 13-year-old child.
The offending took place between February 15 and February 20 last year.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Webster was later confronted at his home by members of the group, who streamed it on Facebook.
The court heard Webster, who lives in Dunfermline, has a previous conviction for behaviour of a similar nature.
Conversations turned sexual
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told the court one member of the paedophile hunter group set up a profile in the name of “Isla” on an adult dating site and initially told Webster she was 35 years old.
Soon into the conversation, she said she was 13 and it was “cool if you don’t want to chat.”
The fiscal depute said Webster then talked about his conversations being sexual.
When “Isla” responded to say she did not know much about that, Webster said he could “teach her but it had to stay between them”.
Despite the profile stating she was 13 years old, Webster then asked her for naked pictures.
Mr Hilland said further messages were sent of a sexual nature and on February 18, he sent an explicit picture of himself.
Throughout the messages, the decoy said she was 13 years old and mentioned being at school.
Mr Hilland said other members of the same vigilante group confronted Webster at his home in July 2021, streaming on Facebook.
‘Predators are out there’
Webster appeared in the dock this week to admit attempting to cause an older child to view a sexual image and communicating indecently for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming a person he believed to be a child.
Defence lawyer David Bell said at the time of this offence, Webster was on deferred sentence for behaviour of a similar nature and had been convicted of communicating with older children.
The solicitor said the latest offence was not a scenario in which Webster sought out people under the age of 16 as he was on an adult site and believed the person he initially engaged with was an adult.
Mr Bell also stressed Webster only sent a single explicit image.
Sheriff Alastair Brown told Webster he should have terminated communication when she claimed to be 13.
The sheriff said: “You did send her a picture and you have a relevant previous conviction which involves real children.
“You have to understand there are predators out there and people looking for folk like you to turn up at a locus with a camera and stream things on Facebook.
“You cannot assume you are dealing with someone who is as they claim to be.”
Sentence deferred
Sheriff Brown warned Webster he was close to being sent to prison.
The sheriff added: “So you are on exceptionally thin ice and you must stay away from things like this during a period of deferral and thereafter because the risks to you are immense and I hope that’s quite clear to you.
“The court will have absolutely no sympathy for those who are attempting to communicate sexually with children”.
Sheriff Brown adjourned sentencing until December 6 for the production of background reports.
Webster is already on the Sex Offenders Register.
