Angus rugby coach on sex offenders register for asking 13-year-old girl to send him pictures

An Angus rugby coach who asked a 13-year-old girl to send him online pictures of herself in a series of sexually suggestive messages has been placed on the sex offenders register.

Scott Smith was snared after police found dozens of incriminating messages on his mobile phone and will be sentenced next month for an offence which has left his coaching career in tatters.

The 21-year-old, from Montrose, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court where he admitted a charge under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 of intentionally sending sexual written communication to the girl between January 1 and February 15 2014 containing material of a sexual nature and requesting that she sends photographs of herself.

An element of the charge alleging that Smith had asked the teenager to include photographs of her wearing underwear was deleted as part of the guilty plea accepted by the Crown.

Mitigation in the case was reserved until the accused appears back in court on April 14 following the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.

Sheriff Murray placed Smith on the Sex Offenders Register, with the period of registration to be determined at sentencing.