'High risk' sex predator caught in ‘sting’ jailed again for offences in Fife

Alexander Hope had been released from his previous extended jail term for child sex offences but ended up back behind bars after being confronted on his doorstep in Dunfermline by ‘paedo hunters’.

For his latest offence he was given a six-year extended sentence - four years in custody then another two years on licence.

Hope, 38, appeared from custody for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that between July 7 and August last year 5 in Dunfermline, he contacted someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. He sent sexually explicit images and videos to her. He also sent sexually explicit messages to her through a social media platform.

He also admitted that between November 2023 1 and August 14 last year at his home, he downloaded indecent images of children. He further admitted that on various occasions between April 15 and June 29 last year he took photos of female children without their permission.

Depute fiscal Sarah Smith previously told the court a ‘decoy’ online profile was set up by a member of a group called Fuze UK. Hope contacted her profile and she said she was 13. He told her that she looked “really hot”.

His comments became more sexually graphic as time went on, and on August 14, members of the group went to his home and recorded the interaction live on Facebook. He admitted being the person sending the messages and police were contacted.

One of his phones had 194 files depicting child sex exploitation and abuse with a video run time of one hour and 28 minutes. There were 36 videos in category A for the most depraved content.

There were videos of sexual activity and also of upskirting schoolgirls.

Another phone had 698 files with a video running time of 12 hours and 44 minutes. These included 267 videos in category A.

Sheriff Krista Johnston told Hope he had engaged in the “most depraved” conduct which “discloses a predilection for child sexual offending”.

She told him, “You are a sexual predator” and that he posed a “high risk”, having expressed no remorse or insight.

Moffat was put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period. In 2018, Hope was sentenced to five years in prison with an extension of two further years for various crimes involving young girls aged in Kirkcaldy. He used social media to interact with victims, and ended up serving the full seven years with that sentence ending in March.