A Perth man’s sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old boy were uncovered after he left his Facebook account logged in on a friend’s phone.
Ryan Strathie described wanting to carry out sex acts on the teenager is a series of messages on social media.
The 22-year-old had been kicked out of his sister’s house, where he had been living, after he confessed to having fallen for the boy. She told her mother, who is understood to have contacted the police.
However the full extent of his contact with the teen was not uncovered until a friend turned detective.
At Perth Sheriff Court, Strathie admitted sending sexually explicit messages to the 14-year-old at an address in Perth between July 6 and August 8.
Depute fiscal Matthew Kerr told the court: “The accused’s sister was in the living room when the accused came in and disclosed to her he had been communicating with a young boy. When asked he disclosed that the boy was 14 or 15-years-old.
“He was told that what he was doing was wrong by his sister, who then left. She then texted the accused and told him he was no longer welcome in her house and should leave. She telephoned her mother to advise her of what had happened.
“At 9pm the following day a friend of the accused phoned him and he said he had been thrown out because he had fallen for someone he shouldn’t have.
“The friend invited the accused round. She asked the accused what was going on and he told her he had fallen for a boy who was 14.
“Later that evening the accused borrowed his friend’s phone and signed into Facebook to communicate with his mother. While the accused was sleeping the friend went onto Facebook and the accused’s account was still logged on.
“She identified the conversation between the accused and the complainer, where the complainer stated he was 14, and took screenshots.”
In the graphic messages, Strathie repeatedly said he wanted to kiss the boy, called him “hot” and described carrying out sex acts on him.
Strathie was arrested after police gained a warrant for him and admitted communicating with the boy and told officers he had fallen for him.
Sentence was deferred for reports and Strathie, whose address was given as Grayfriar’s hostel in Perth, was placed on the sex offenders register in the interim.
