A Kirkcaldy man who sent indecent images of children to women as part of a photo-swap ploy has been placed on the sex offenders register for three years.
Liam Hooley, 22, used his iPhone to send the women images of children performing sexual acts, as well as sexual pictures of adults. He pretended to be a female called Michelle and a man named Dave when he contacted the women.
Hooley first sent obscene messages and images to a 20-year-old female acquaintance from a phone with a number she did not recognise.
The messages, which went on for four days, included a request for her to do things to herself and images of naked women.
The woman then contacted a 19-year-old friend to see if she recognised the number, and she in turn contacted the number via a social media app. Thereafter, the second female began receiving obscene messages of similar content.
On January 31 last year Hooley sent the 19-year-old an indecent image of a child, and then, later, of a young boy pictured with two girls engaging in a sexual act.
When police searched his home in St Kilda Crescent, they found an iPhone hidden under his mattress.
Hooley’s solicitor, Kyrsten Buist, said: “The matters stem from substantial low self-esteem on behalf of Mr Hooley at the time of the offences.”
Hooley admitted that on January 31 2013, at St Kilda Crescent, he distributed or showed indecent photographs of children.
He also pled guilty to, between October 1 2012 and December 7 2012, sending text messages and photographs of a sexual nature to a 20-year-old woman, and requested that she send photographs of a sexual nature back to him.
He also admitted that, between January 12 2013 and January 31 2013, he sent similar photographs and requests to a 19-year-old woman.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Max Hendry said: “This type of offence merits a prison sentence. That is my starting point. That is notwithstanding the fact you have no criminal record.
“By a fairly thin margin, I do see an alternative by way of a community payback order.”
He also sentenced Hooley to undergo three years’ supervision.