A 40-year-old who called himself a “dirty old man” as he tried to arrange secret meetings with a child was spared a jail sentence today.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, Laurence McMillan, 40, of St Nicholas Place, admitted engaging a child in sexualised chat.
He was placed on the sex offenders register for three years and placed under supervision for three years, after Sheriff Simon Collins decided not to impose a prison sentence.
McMillan was also ordered to take part in a programme of treatment in an attempt to address his offending behaviour.
The court had previously heard that McMillan engaged a child in a series of inappropriate text messages.
He then told the child to delete the messages.
Fiscal depute John Adams said the pair had engaged in two separate conversations via text on December 19 last year.
The first conversation was general small talk at 5am, the court was told.
The second series of messages were sent continuously between 4.30pm and 8.30pm.
McMillan quickly turned to inappropriate language, asking if the child was in bed and asking about the youngster’s sexual interests.
He told the child: “Don’t tell anyone I’m talking to you.” When the child asked why, he replied: “Because I’m a dirty old man.”
He told the child he was “horny” and urged the youngster to “remember to keep our secret” before saying: “I will keep my thoughts to myself.”
At this point the child became uncomfortable and told ta parent who contacted police.
Solicitor Gary McIlravey, defending, told the court he was lost for anything else to say about the case.
He said: “There is a full report available, and little I can add to the narration.”
McMillan admitted engaging a child in sexual and inappropriate chat, at a property in Dundee, on December 19 last year.
Sheriff Collins said: “Given his lack of analogous offending and the availability of a high period of supervision, I think that’s the way to go here.”
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