A married sex offender who tried to get a 15-year-old girl to send him nude pictures over the internet has dodged a jail term.
Sheriff Derrick Pyle placed Andrew John Sherratt (26), of Aboyne Avenue, on a three-year community payback order, telling Dundee Sheriff Court a period of imprisonment would not address any of the problems, but rather lead him ”back to square one.”
The court heard Sherratt targeted the girl then told his wife: ”It was a conversation with a young girl that went too far.”
Sherratt and the girl were using the MSN instant messaging service. She had told him she was sitting alone in her living room and her parents were elsewhere in the house.
Sherratt told the girl he wanted to swap naked pictures with her, before discussing sex acts with her and urging her to access porn websites.
Sherratt admitted intentionally sending indecent messages to the girl on January 26 this year at an address in Dundee.
Solicitor Aneka Jethwa told the court Sherratt had previous convictions and had a history of depression.
She said he is now on anti-depressants and that is helping. He had already engaged with the Tay Project a group working with sex offenders in the area.
Depute fiscal Emma Stewart had earlier told the court that Sherratt started making sick comments to the 15-year-old about sex acts and told her: ”Look up porn, it will show you.”
She added: ”He again asked to swap pictures and said: ‘It will be our little secret’. He asked how old she was and she said ‘you know how old I am’. The girl was shocked and upset and told her parents, who contacted police.”
Ms Stewart continued: ”On March 2 the accused was traced at his place of work and was told there was a search warrant. He said he would have to speak to his wife because he didn’t have any keys.
”Police asked his wife to attend at their home and when they arrived she asked what it was about. The accused replied: ‘A conversation I had with a young female it got a bit out of hand, it went too far.”
Sheriff Derek Pyle placed Sherratt on a three-year community payback order, ordered him to be supervised and to take part in the Tay Project for the same period.
He said: ”You have a previous offence in relation to a sexual matter. Standing the nature of the charge you will be placed on the sex offenders register.”