Kirkcaldy man sentenced for explicit messages to girl he thought was 13

A Kirkcaldy man who sent sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was a 13-year old girl has been placed on the sex offenders register.

David Anderson was also handed a community payback order with three years supervision, and 200 hours of unpaid work.

The 33-year old, of Earn Road, appeared for sentence at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Thursday.

He admitted co-ercing someone he believed was a teenager into looking at a sexual image and communicating indecently with her between December 7 and 14.

A leading children’s charity said the case was a warning shot to parents how easy it can be for predators to target youngsters online.

Anderson was caught by an online group set up to expose internet sex abuse - he thought he was talking to a 13-year old girl.

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Sentencing him, Sheriff James Gilchrist said Anderson must not have knowingly have contact with someone under the age of 16 unless approved by his supervising officer, must not access the internet without express permission, must make any devices available to the authorities, and must not delete or use software to delete or conceal his activities online.

He was put on the sex offenders register for five years.

The NSPCC Scotland said children needed more protection from people like Anderson.

A spokesman said: “As far as Anderson was aware, he was sending sexually explicit messages to a 13-year-old girl and asking her to keep it a secret, which highlights how easy it can be for predators to groom children online.

“This case should act as a reminder of how important it is for parents and carers to make sure they speak to children about their online lives, and ensure they help them understand the risks they face and where they can turn if they are worried about something.”

He added: “Children need more protection from dangerous individuals such as Anderson. This is why we are pushing the Government hard to publish the Online Harms Bill which will force tech companies to design in safety measures for all the young people who use their platforms.”

> NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000

> Childline 0800 1111

www.childline.org.uk

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