Man who had sex with underage girls jailed for three years

A sex offender who had intercourse with two underage girls and sent indecent communications to youngsters was jailed for three years today.

A judge rejected a plea to spare Blair Thomson, 23, a jail sentence following his sex crimes against children.

Lord Harrower told Thomson that he had come to the conclusion that there was no alternative to a custodial sentence, having regard to his offending as a whole and particularly the charges of having sex with the girls.

The judge said at the High Court in Edinburgh that there had been a pattern of indecent communication with younger girls and added: “It is appropriate to describe this pattern of behaviour as a form of grooming.”

He told Thomson, who was assessed as posing a medium risk of sexual re-offending, that he would also be supervised under an extended sentence for a further two year period.

Thomson, formerly of Northfield Place, in Aberdeen, was told that he would be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely following his sentencing.

He began his offending in 2014 and the crimes committed in his home city continued until 2019.

Thomson was acquitted of a rape allegation at an earlier trial but was convicted of having unlawful intercourse with a 15-year girl in 2017 he met through social media. He also had sex with a 13-year-old girl at his home in 2019. He was also convicted of five offences of indecent communication.

Defence counsel David Moggach argued that Thomson could be dealt with by the imposition of a non-custodial sentence, such as a community payback order.

Mr Moggach said that Thomson was hopeful that he could secure employment and knew that if he breached such an order he could face imprisonment.