Arranging to meet someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl for “unlawful sexual activity,” a DALRY man, Scott Simpson Westpark Wynd Paedophile, was caught in an online sting.
Appearing in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Tuesday, August 6, 27-year-old Scott Simpson admitted guilt to five charges overall.
He acknowledged three charges concerning trying to converse indecently with children under sixteen, one of trying to meet a kid to engage in illegal sexual activity, and one of possessing indecent photos or pseudo-photographs of minors.
Fiscal depute Jaide Podlesny informed the court Scott Simpson’s actions were revealed during a cybercrime and digital forensics investigation by Police Scotland.
Not included in this inquiry was one of Simpson’s offences: an attempt to communicate indecently with a 15-year-old male alleged to be from Preston on October 18, 2022.
Although Scott Simpson, of Westpark Wynd, is known to have sent a series of written sexual communications to him and comments on participating in sexual activity, court papers state that the true identity of this individual is unknown to the prosecutor.
The probe started on March 10 last year when an undercover police officer posing as 13-year-old Hannah King was placed on an online chat forum.
The officer contacted a Scott Simpson-operated profile and started a discussion, stating he was 26.
Ms Podlesny further said: “Conversation immediately took a sexual turn on the part of the accused.”
The exchanges persisted between March 11 and 14, then moved to Snapchat, where Scott Simpson maintained a profile under a pseudonym.
Scott Simpson made plans to see the “child” “for sexual activity,” Ms Podlesny told the court.
She said, “The accused advised that he would attend a McDonald’s restaurant in Partick and collect the child in his vehicle.”
Police visited Glasgow’s West End Retail Park on March 14, and Scott Simpson verified on the chat profile that he had arrived and was waiting close by the door.
Officers were then stood down following a search when they discovered no evidence of Simpson’s car.
More questions, however, showed that Scott Simpson had also been corresponding with a female supposedly aged 15 years.
Scott Simpson reportedly made sexual remarks regarding the child’s bra size and mentioned himself as her “secret boyfriend double your age”.
Before detaining Scott Simpson, police carrying a search warrant visited his house on March 22 and discovered a mobile phone.
Examining the phone turned up offensive still pictures of youngsters taken from the internet.
There were twenty pictures in all, the most violent ones showing child rape and sexual exploitation.
Officers also discovered Snapchat chats between Scott Simpson and a second person, who he thought to be a 15-year-old girl called Erin, on January 23 and 24 last year when Simpson asked the “child” about their past sexual experience.
Scott Simpson declared in one message delivered to the court: “15-year-old virgin sounds perfect to me.”
The story started at an address owned by a witness who called the court and claimed to be the owner of a Snapchat account upon police visit.
The witness stated he had pretended to be a 15-year-old girl to detect adult men approaching young girls and admitted he was responsible for the ‘Erin’ profile.
Scott Simpson’s solicitor said he would hold back his remarks in mitigating until those background studies were ready. Sheriff Nicola Patrick called for them.
Scott Simpson received bail and immediately registered as a sex offender.
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