A Fife paedophile caught in a police sting has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Ernest Nicholson, 58, finally appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Monday evening.
He was brought from custody after failing to turn up for sentencing on March 14, when a warrant was granted for his arrest.
It is believed he had been in hospital at the time.
He was sentenced to three years of supervision and the same period on the Sex Offenders Register.
Sick chats
Nicholson previously admitted attempting to communicate indecently with a child and causing the person to view a picture of a naked penis.
He thought his chat on Kik messenger was with a 12-year-old child but he was actually communicating with a police officer.
The offending happened between January 9 and 16 last year at an address in Hill of Beath, and at his workplace at Lochgelly Industrial Estate.
Prosecutor Lee-Anne Barclay told the court Nicholson – who said he worked at the Rosyth naval base as an engineer building warships – initiated conversation with the undercover police and acknowledged the young age of the decoy.
They exchanged photos and the conversation turned more explicit, despite Nicholson acknowledging what he was doing was against the law.
Nicholson made comments to the decoy about him being “her man” and asked if she wanted to stay at his house and “share his bed”.
The fiscal depute continued: “He asked if she would watch porn with him and asked if she would have sex with him.
“He then sent an indecent image of a male with an exposed penis.”
He suggested a sleepover at his home, saying he would “spoil her” and they could “make love”.
Arrested at work
Nicholson made arrangements to meet the “girl” in Livingston.
The fiscal depute said: “He asked if she was on the pill and she said she was not.
“He said it was ok and he would use condoms so she would not get pregnant.”
The court heard Nicholson asked her to bring a change of clothes and when the decoy asked what they would do after he picked her up from the shop, he stated: “Back to mine, chill, relax, get to know each other, get food, then back to bed.”
Nicholson failed to show up but was arrested outside his workplace.
In February 2023 – a month after his offending – police issued a missing person appeal for Nicholson, along with CCTV images of him wearing a distinctive camouflage rucksack as they asked the public for help tracing him.
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