A pervert who took a picnic to meet a Fife schoolgirl for “kissing and touching” at a Stirling park was also carrying a knife.
Creepy Thomas Brown packed the blade along with a homemade sandwiches and a flask before heading out to meet the “13-year-old”, who he had been chatting to online.
But when Brown, 41, turned up at King’s Park he was confronted by the team of paedophile hunters behind a decoy account.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard how Brown tried to escape on foot but was stopped from leaving and held until police arrived.
He appeared in the dock and pled guilty to attempting to communicate indecently with a child and illegally possessing a knife.
‘Strange porn’
Fiscal depute Rachel Wallace explained an online decoy account named Ellie had been set up by a woman who was part of vigilante group.
“They try to identify sexual predators and have been doing this for five years.
“The woman used social media platforms OK Live and Telegram and only accepts incoming messages.
“She does not proactively seek people out to message.”
The court heard that on the evening of January 8 last year, the paedophile hunter got a message from an account named Tommy.
He wrote: “Hello, I’m from Stirling, Scotland, in the UK. How are you?
“I’m just looking to chat, nothing more. Would you like to talk to me, fine if not. It can be about anything.”
The decoy responded she was a 13-year-old girl from Fife.
Ms Wallace said the pair chatted on the OK Live app for several days.
Brown told the girl he thought she was pretty.
He added he enjoyed watching “strange porn.”
The fiscal depute said the decoy told Brown she was still in school.
“He makes it clear to her that he does not want his family to know he is friends with a 13-year-old girl,” said Ms Wallace.
“He said he feels bad about it.
“The accused comments that he really wishes he was young.”
Attempt to flee from paedophile hunters
Chatting from his then-home in Woodside Road, Brown discussed meeting the girl and suggested getting together at King’s Park.
Ms Wallace said: “On January 24, the accused said he would like to do things together including kissing and touching and asks if she would do this if he made her his girlfriend.”
When asked what he means, Brown tells her how to perform a solo sex act and encourages her to do it, the prosecutor said.
“The accused states that this excites him.”
When asked if that was what they would do if they met, Brown tells the girl they would “figure it out.”
Brown arranged to meet at the park on January 28 and texted at 10.44am to say he had arrived.
About an hour later, he was approached by adult members of the paedophile hunter group, including the woman who operated the account.
Ms Wallace said: “The accused tried to run away but was prevent from leaving.
“When confronted he confirms his name was Thomas Bush and that he was there to meet a 13-year-old girl to walk around the park.”
The group then called police and Brown is arrested.
He told officers: “I had no intention of doing anything with that child.”
Brown confirmed he thought he was talking to a 13-year-old girl, adding: “I only had intentions to come to the park and play with the dog.”
He said: “I have spoken sexually to other people in the past.
“I made mistakes in the things that I said to her.
“I was stupid today for trying to meet at the park.”
Officers checked his backpack and found some home-made sandwiches, biscuits and a flask of hot beverage.
They also found a small knife concealed within a key ring.
Remanded
Solicitor Virgil Crawford, defending, urged the court not to lock up his client before sentencing.
He explained his first offender client had been keen to plead guilty at an early stage and had recently undergone heart surgery.
Deferring sentence, Sheriff Derek Hamilton told Brown, who has since moved to Deanston, near Doune: “It was your intention to meet up with this girl for kissing and touching.
“Your status has changed and you will be remanded.”
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