A Perthshire paedophile who lured a Lincolnshire schoolgirl to his home for sex, sparking a nationwide hunt, has been locked up for nearly 18 months.
Jamie McRae groomed the 15-year-old on social media and persuaded her to travel 325 miles to meet him at his home in Coupar Angus.
The 23-year-old admitted having sexual activity with the child, who had his number listed in her phone under the name “Daddy”.
He also made her pose for sexually explicit photographs.
A few months later – after he was arrested and released on bail – he sexually assaulted a second girl, aged 14.
McRae was told there was no alternative to custody when he returned to Perth Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Sexual satisfaction
Sheriff William Wood told McRae his offending was of “considerable concern”.
“The situation is that you were 20 years of age, befriending a 14-year-old girl – a child.
“You sent her sexually explicit messages and then had sexual contact and sexual intercourse with her.
“And then, despite being arrested and charged in relation to that, you then undertook a further sexual assault on another victim.”
He said: “At best, these offences are ill-advised.
“At worst they are indications of your willingness or propensity to groom young girls for your own sexual satisfaction.”
The sheriff added: “I take account that you are protected by the law – as a first offender – against having a custodial sentence imposed.
“However, it seems to me that these offences, taken collectively, are of such gravity that there is no other reasonable option open to the court.”
McRae was sentenced to 18 months, reduced to 76 weeks having already spent a week on remand.
He will stay on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
And he was ordered to stay away from both victims as part of a decade-long non-harassment order.
Reported missing
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said the first victim – a 15-year-old girl – left her home in Lincolnshire in the early hours of March 13.
“She travelled by train and bus to meet the accused in Perthshire.
“She did not tell her mother or social workers of her plans and as a result, she was reported as missing person.”
Police in England were made aware the girl may have been with McRae.
“Officers were tasked with visiting the accused’s property in Murray’s Court, Coupar Angus,” said the fiscal depute.
“The girl made comments about kissing the accused and sharing a bed with him.
“Both the complainer and the accused appeared to have love bite marks.”
McRae was arrested but let go, as at this stage no criminality could be established.
Phone records
The pair’s phones were seized and McRae’s number was saved in the youngster’s phone as “Daddy”.
Police also found “indecent communications” between the two, Ms Ritchie said.
“There was even talk about impregnating the complainer.
“The accused went into detail about how he was going to have sex with her.”
A series of naked photos of the girl were also stored on her phone.
In some of the pictures, McRae was seen just wearing boxer shorts.
“The accused’s phone had a screenshot of the complainer’s social media page which showed her age was 15,” said Ms Ritchie.
The girl was interviewed and told officers she had met McRae when she was 14.
She said he had engaged in sexual activity with her in March 2020.
“That’s pretty much all we did,” she said.
Sex assault
The victim of September’s sex assault was 14 at the time, the court heard.
“She knew the accused through mutual friends,” said Ms Ritchie.
“She had his number stored on her phone as ‘Big Brother’ – she regarded him as a friend who she could go to for advice.”
McRae messaged her while she was at school and told her to come to a property in Perth.
When she arrived, he asked how school had been, before pulling her by the shoulders onto a bed.
Ms Ritchie said: “The accused was on top of her and starting kissing her neck and cheek.”
The girl made an excuse and ran back to school.
She told a teacher she was having a “panic attack”.
McRae, of High Street, Perth, was arrested days later.
He pled guilty to sending her sexually explicit messages via social media and admitted having sex with her on various occasions between March 13 and 15 2020.
McRae further admitted sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl by pushing her onto a bed and kissing her face and neck at an address in Perth on September 2 2020.
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