Dundee sex abuser told child: don’t reveal our secret

A sex offender described himself as a “dirty old man” as he tried to arrange secret meetings with a child.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, 40-year-old Laurence McMillan, of St Nicholas Place, admitted engaging a child in sexualised chat.

McMillan engaged the child in a series of inappropriate text messages.

He then told the child to delete the messages.

Fiscal depute John Adams said that 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 second series of messages was sent between 4.30pm and 8.30pm.

McMillan quickly turned to inappropriate language, asking the child if they were in bed and asking about their sexual interests.

McMillan 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 to “remember to keep our secret”, before saying, “I will keep my thoughts to myself”.

At this point, the child became uncomfortable with the exchange.

The child told their mum about the messages, and she then contacted the police.

McMillan admitted engaging a child in sexual and inappropriate chat at a property in Dundee on December 19 last year. Sentence was deferred until April 28 and he was placed on the sex offenders register.

Keiran Watson, youth worker with abuse charity Eighteen and Under, said: “Children, by nature, are vulnerable and have always been at risk.

“But what has changed is the way abusers have access to them.

“Any kind of sexual abuse is very difficult to see, but it’s scary how a parent can be sitting next to a child who can be texting an abuser.

“It’s fantastic that in this instance the child became uncomfortable and approached an adult they trusted at an early stage — potentially preventing further abuse.

“This is the message we need to push, that children need to approach an adult they trust — and if they don’t listen, to go to someone else.”