Man who asked 'schoolgirl' to meet up for sex sent to prison

A 55-year-old man from Tranent, William Young, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for attempting to engage a child in sexually explicit conversations and sharing indecent images.

Young contacted an online profile posing as a 12-year-old girl created by the paedophile hunter group Confronted and Caught. Over several weeks, he sent numerous messages expressing his desire for sexual encounters with the 'child,' including requests for naked pictures and details about her preferred sexual positions.

He also shared explicit videos of himself performing a solo sex act, despite knowing the 'child's' age. Young went as far as asking to meet up with the decoy in person, unwittingly revealing his address in the process.

Confronted and Caught members confronted Young at his former residence on The Hedges, Tranent, before calling the police on December 9th, 2022. Young pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to view indecent images and videos, as well as communicating indecently with a child.

Sheriff Charles Walls sentenced Young to 12 months imprisonment and placed him on the sex offenders' register for 10 years. Young's name will also be forwarded to Scottish Ministers for consideration of being added to the list of those banned from working with children and vulnerable groups.