A convicted sex offender who offered to pay an under-age girl to meet him has been sentenced to two years in prison.
Gerald Niven (37), of Bradbury Street, previously admitted that between February 4 and March 24 last year, when not reasonably believing the girl was over 16, he made arrangements to meet the girl and intended to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
At an earlier hearing, Dundee Sheriff Court heard he told the youngster he would pay her £180 to belt her on the behind and hands.
The court had heard the girl received a friend request on a social networking site. Niven then had online conversations with the girl, who revealed her age. He offered her the sum if she would meet him in school uniform and he could “give her pain”.
He then twice offered the girl more money, which she refused.
His agent Susan Duff said Niven, who was given three years’ probation in 2005 for a similar offence, had been affected by circumstances dating back to his early childhood.
Referring to a report, Sheriff Davidson questioned Niven’s explanation, which included being belted as a child, saying corporal punishment was largely discouraged after a European Council ruling at the time.
Sheriff Davidson said Niven had previously had six years to address the “difficulties”. Dismissing appeals to let Niven address his issues in the community, Sheriff Davidson said Niven had twice worked with the Tay Project.
He said: “You knew exactly what age she was when you started using the social network site and you knew what you were proposing to her to get your sexual gratification.”
Niven was handed an extended sentence of four years with two years’ imprisonment and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.