An Angus lollipop man who was sacked after sending perverse texts to a teen with learning difficulties has avoided jail.
A 34-year-old man appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted sending a series of explicit messages to a boy aged 14 in October last year, and possessing “extreme pornographic images” depicting bestiality.
The court heard the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was friends with the boy’s family and had been volunteering with the Church of Scotland as well as a local senior football team.
Acknowledging that Police Scotland considered him a “high risk” reoffender, Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown granted their application for a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
This will forbid him from entering children’s play areas for five years, with a restriction from owning more than one vetted internet-ready device.
Depute fiscal Jennifer Johnston said: “During the morning of October 29, the complainer’s (guardian) had reason to take hold of his phone and looked at the messages.
“She found a number of messages of a sexual nature on his phone.
“Messages appeared to detail the complainer asking for cigarettes and the accused asked for sexual favours …. ‘What am I getting in return?’
“Arrangements were made for the complainer and accused to meet.
“There were other numerous messages asking the complainer to play with him, which were refused.”
The man was asked to stop text messaging the boy at that point, and responded with an obscene sexual remark.
Ms Johnston added: “From October 13 further messages were found of a similar sexual nature.
“The complainer’s (guardian) contacted the police and searches were carried out.
“The accused made partial admission to police officers, that he should have learned his lesson from the last time.”
Defence agent Michael Boyd said a section 76 letter had been prepared, pleading guilty to the matter on indictment, but the Crown later reduced the prosecution to a summary proceeding.
He added: “He has no previous convictions. He appeared on petition for the first charge only and there were concerns over his cognitive skills.
“During the police interview he seemed not to fully grasp the sexual nature of his language … but he did know right from wrong.”
“He lost his employment as a lollipop man over this.
“On a voluntary basis he volunteered with the Church of Scotland as a beadle and he also helped as a volunteer with his local football club, which he has had to take a step back from.”
Sheriff Martin-Brown imposed a three-year community payback order with participation in the Tay Project for sex offenders, a total of 290 hours of unpaid work, and placed the accused on the sex offenders register for three years.
