Middle aged offender had online sex chat with 'Amy (14)' from Falkirk

Paul Duffy (57), phoned officers after the group who had caught him out threatened to come to his house.

Before that he told the “girl” to touch herself, said he was touching himself, sent her a picture of his car and said he would come and pick her up. He also asked her to meet him in Glasgow.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Duffy had pled guilty to sending indecent messages to someone he believed to be 14-years-old for the purposes of his sexual gratification between February 2 and February 15 last year.

Katie Cunningham, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The witnesses had set up a profile on a Tagged pretending to be a 14-year-old child called Amy from Falkirk. The accused then contacted Amy and engaged in a general chat.

“The accused gave his phone number and the chat continued on What’s App. She then messaged him saying ‘this is Amy (14) from Falkirk’. He asked is he could see her on videocall, which didn’t happen.”

Duffy got back in touch via What’s App and his conversation began to get more sexual, talking about her touching her private parts and he told her he was touching himself.

“The witness then told him she didn’t want to get in trouble with her mum,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “The conversations continued over the next few days. The accused sent a picture of his car to the witness and then said he would come and pick her up.

“The chat would go from being quite general to sexual comments with him telling her he was going to spank her and calling her a naughty girl. He siad he wanted to meet up with the witness in Glasgow.

“He said he would help her pick an outfit and he would get excited if it was sexy.”

The online group who created “Amy” then got in touch with Duffy, who contacted the police because he was concerned about the group coming to his house.

The court heard Duffy, who has two adult children from a previous marriage, referred himself to Stop It Now and there had been no other evidence of online activities involving children.

The court heard Duffy recognised he should not have been communicating in this manner with someone he believed to be 14-years-old.

While Duffy, 12 Belmont Drive, Kirkintilloch was not placed on the sex offenders register, Sheriff Derek Livingston did place him on a restriction of liberty order for 10 months to stay in his home between 7pm and 7am.

He was also placed on a supervised community payback order for three years with the condition he engage in the Stop It Scotland programme.

Sheriff Livingston said: “This sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable as it was about the control, manipulation and abuse of children – bit it does appear to have been a one off offence.”