A Stirling paedophile, Gerard Deery, who clandestinely photographed a teenage girl while she leaned over her schoolbag had been participating in reprehensible conversations with other deviants.
Gerard Deery possessed three photographs of the girl, who was known to him but not a relative, along with one of her companion, concealed in an encrypted folder on his phone.
The 55-year-old, Gerard Deery, was apprehended following a tip-off received by the police in September of the previous year.
Authorities conducted a raid on his residence and confiscated gadgets, including his cell phone.
Fiscal depute Stuart Asher said Stirling Sheriff Court that forensic examiners conducted a preliminary inspection of all devices.
“The examination of the accused’s phone revealed the presence of the MeetMe chat application, which was accessed by a user named ‘AlexS, 55, Rosyth GB,’ whose profile picture depicted the accused, Gerard Deery.”
A chat record was retrieved, containing discussions in which both sides detail their sexual experiences.
Mr. Asher stated that the defendant referenced the girl, remarking that she “appears attractive in a uniform” and “elicits a partial arousal.”
Gerard Deery additionally discussed attempting to acquire some of the girl’s used undergarments, as well as engaging in masturbation using the undergarments of another chat participant’s granddaughter.
The police forensic examiners discovered a Telegram chat in which Gerard Deery and another user were exchanging images of unidentified youngsters in school uniforms, seemingly sourced from social media accounts.
Mr. Asher stated: “The defendant and the other individual conversed about the sexual exploitation of those female minors and made remarks such as ‘send me a provocative image to masturbate to.’”
Numerous other unsettling remarks were expressed.
The officers discovered a locked folder on the Samsung phone, which was accessed using a PIN.
They discovered photographs of the teenage girl in a school uniform familiar to Gerard Deery.
Upon being prosecuted, the predator stated that the discussions were merely “fantasy chats,” thereafter questioning: “As in desiring sexual relations with individuals under the age of 16?” Certainly not, and I possess no attraction to individuals of comparable ages.
Gerard Deery, from Stirling, confessed to transmitting obscene texts from December 2023 to September 2024.
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon registered him as a sex offender for a duration of five years.
He additionally instituted a two-year supervision order mandating participation in the Moving Forward to Change sexual offenders program and prohibiting communication with individuals under 18, except for specified persons.
Gerard Deery is required to complete 150 hours of unpaid labour.
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