A paedophile sent explicit videos of himself to what he thought was a young girl, unaware she was really a grown woman hunting the internet for sex beasts.
Jon Duffy, 24, had no idea he was being duped by a vigilante group as he believed he was sending graphic messages to a 14-year-old girl.
Duffy found the “child’s” profile on a social media site and approached her.
He quickly turned the conversation to sex.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard he continually pestered her to send him explicit photographs of herself and to film herself carrying out sexual acts.
When the “girl” refused, Duffy filmed himself carrying out a sex act and sent her the footage.
Duffy – who had ignored warnings about the age of the person he thought he was targeting – was arrested after members of the group turned up at his Dundee home to confront him.
‘He completely accepts his guilt’
Duffy admitted that between September 1 and October 7, 2018, he repeatedly sent sexual messages and images to a woman pretending to be a 14-year-old girl.
He admitted trying to get her to send naked images, before sending nude pictures and videos of him carrying out a sex act.
Solicitor Jim Caird, defending, told the court: “He completely accepts his guilt and takes responsibility.
“In the three years since this happened he has to some extent withdrawn due to his anxiety about it.
“There is hope that unpaid work might do something for his confidence in the community.”
Sheriff Alison Michie told Duffy: “You pled guilty to a very serious offence.
“This is one which could certainly attract a custodial sentence.”
She placed Duffy, of Pitkerro Court, under social work supervision for three years and on the Sex Offenders Register for the same period.
He was also ordered to complete 270 hours unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
