A 42-year-old man in a wheelchair who posed as a teenage boy to groom underage girls online has been told he is going to jail – if a suitable prison can be found for him.
Predatory paedophile Richard Cabena set up a fake Facebook page and used it to get in touch with young girls who he then persuaded to strip on camera for him.
Cabena, who has spina bifida and is wheelchair-bound, was told his offence merited prison but his circumstances meant checks would have to be done.
Sheriff William Wood granted Cabena bail and said: “I am not able to say at this stage whether the prison estate will be able to accommodate you and your needs.
“I am going to defer sentence for confirmation from the estate that they will be able to accommodate your needs which will bring significant challenges.”
He told Perth Sheriff Court: “It does seem to me that in relation to both these charges there was a predatory aspect that underlies your conduct.
“You held yourself out to be significantly younger than you are to a child.
“You held yourself out to be a 14-year-old boy. You seemed to be grooming for further disclosures.”
The court was told that the girls were strangers to Cabena and had been taken in by his fake identity as a boy called John Grant.
Cabena, of Kinloch, admitted obtaining sexual gratification by getting a 15-year-old girl to strip and participate in sexual activity on camera via Skype on August 16 2015.
He admitted a second charge of causing a 12-year-old girl to send naked pictures over Skype.
