A Fife man who engaged in filthy online chat with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl – in what his lawyer described as a “drunken mistake” – has been sentenced to unpaid work.
Married Kevin Wood, 43, was snared by members of an online paedophile hunting group.
He believed he was chatting on Facebook to a teenager, but she was actually an adult woman with the voluntary Child Online Safety Team.
Wood, of Methilhill, appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court after earlier pleading guilty to attempting to communicate indecently with a child between June 27 and June 30 this year.
‘This is between us’
Prosecutor Catherine Stevenson previously told the court that Wood initially messaged an online profile saying “hi”.
The decoy replied to say she was “Ruby” from Liverpool and aged 14.
The fiscal depute said: “The accused acknowledged her age and said she was too young.”
A conversation occurred in which Wood told her she should be chatting to boys her own age and the girl’s virginity was discussed.
Ms Stevenson continued: “The witness said she wouldn’t know how to do stuff.
“The accused said ‘I’ll leave it there’.
“The witness stated it was just chatting and the accused has told her he’s looking for love.
“He said she would get a boyfriend in Scotland if she was old enough and it’s a pity she wasn’t.”
The conversation grew more explicit, Ms Stevenson said.
“The accused asks the witness: ‘Bet you haven’t seen a c*** before? Is that something you want?”
He went on to make obscene comments about her private parts.
“He then stated ‘this is just between us’,” Ms Stevenson added.
The woman reported the conversation to the police.
‘Drunken mistake’
Defence lawyer Dewar Spence said previously that Wood had sent the first message in error and repeatedly tried to halt the conversation.
He said: “The messages begin because he thinks he’s texting a person he’s contacted before.
“When she says she’s 14, he says she is too young.
“He’s been drinking and the other party continued the conversation.
“I counted about 17 times where he tries to end the conversation and all that came back is ‘We are just chatting’.
“He can’t give an explanation other than the attention he was receiving.”
Mr Spence said the incident had cost Wood his marriage and he may have to leave the area due to abuse on social media.
Representing Wood in court this week, defence lawyer Emily Simpson said it was a “drunken mistake”.
The solicitor said Wood told her that, on several occasions, he told the person he was chatting to she was too young.
She said her client has expressed he will be “a lot more cautious and aware” of what he says online.
Sheriff Charles Lugton sentenced Wood to 270 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
The sheriff also gave him 12 months of offender supervision and conduct requirements.
Wood was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a year.
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