A child sex offender was on the board of a Perth primary school breakfast club while organising the rape of a youngster online, it has emerged.
Jonathan Porter was jailed for almost five years last month after he conspired with an “undercover operative” to gain access to a child.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the 49-year-old accountant was caught after Police Scotland received a tip-off that he had been plotting online with the intention of sexually abusing a youngster.
During their investigation, detectives discovered that Porter had also sexually assaulted a five-year-old girl.
Porter was named a director of Oakbank Safestart Limited on October 9 2019 — a privately-run breakfast club based at Oakbank Primary School on Viewlands Road West, Perth.
His first online chat with the undercover operative took place on October 11 that year, according to court documents.
Treasurer post
Perth and Kinross Council insist the sex-offender never had any contact with children, and was involved as a treasurer for the organisation.
According to his listing on Companies House, he resigned from his post on May 11 this year.
He was found guilty on April 22 and sentenced last month.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Oakbank Safestart is run by a voluntary management committee, not Perth and Kinross Council.
“Porter held the position of treasurer within the committee and did not have any direct involvement in the day-to-day running of the service.
“He is no longer part of the committee.”
Conviction
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Porter had been speaking to a person who can only be identified by the initial K, an “undercover operative” who informed police about Porter’s activities.
During their inquiry police determined Porter had been making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.
They also discovered Porter had sexually assaulted a five-year-old girl.
Jurors convicted Porter, now of Dunstable in Bedfordshire, in April on charges of making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children between July 2015 and October 2019.
He was also convicted of sexual assault on an occasion between December 2015 and November 2016 and conspiring to gain access to a child so he could sexually assault or rape them.
All the offences took place at locations in the Perth area.
The court heard previously that Porter chatted to the undercover operative on “encrypted platforms” between October 11 2019 and October 16 2019 and asked whether they could get him access to a child that he could sexually abuse.
The jury were told Porter sent the message: “I’m confident that you are genuine and not a man trying to get off on this.”
When he was arrested, Porter told police officers he had been on the platforms engaging in role play.
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