An offshore worker who was caught sending sexual messages to what he thought were 13 and 14-year-old girls has avoided a prison sentence.
Dad-of-two Steven Fraser, 46, was snared by paedophile hunters pretending to be girls on the online chat applications ChatHour and Kik between November 9 2019 and January 26 2020.
He sent numerous sexual messages and pictures despite knowing what age the decoys were.
Fraser told Aberdeen Sheriff Court he had done it because he had “found it difficult to adjust” to being onshore.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of sending sexual communications to persons he believed to be children.
Accused sent decoy pics of adults carrying out sex acts
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told the court that in November 2019 Fraser had messaged a profile set up by one paedophile hunter working for the group Forbidden Scotland.
She said the 46-year-old had continued to communicate with the decoy despite knowing she was 13.
He went on to send further messages on Kik that included pictures of the private parts of men and women and naked couples carrying out sex acts.
Fraser followed up these picture messages by stating: “They’re having sex. It’s completely natural” – he then told the girl to delete their conversation.
In January last year, Fraser used the user name ‘Scotslad1975’ and ‘Scotslad1980’ to message a girl he knew to be 14 on ChatHour.
He sent a number of messages telling her “you’re gorgeous” and also ask where she lived and what school she went to.
Fraser later asked the decoy if she had her “bra and knickers on”.
Members of the group Online Predator Hunting Team then went to the 46-year old’s Peterhead home on January 26 2020 to confront him.
Answering the door, Fraser admitted to chatting to the decoy but denied chatting to underage girls.
Police were called and Fraser was cautioned and arrested. Cops later connected the user names used by him to his email address.
Solicitor tells court accused had ‘found it difficult to adjust to life onshore’
Defence agent Gail Goodfellow told the court that Fraser had not long returned to living and working at home and had “found it difficult to adjust to life onshore and had turned to social media as a means of meeting people, both males and females.”
She said: “Whilst he accepts there is no excuse for this type of behaviour – and he does take full responsibility – he maintains that he did not initially seek out younger females.
“Regrettably he continued to engage in very sexualised conversations.
“He has been open and honest as to his motive and he has not sought to make any excuse for that – clearly it is a matter of regret.”
Sheriff Christine McCrossan described the situation as a “very serious matter” involving more than one individual.
As an alternative to prison, she sentenced Fraser, of Stoneywood Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, to a three-year community payback order, 200 hours of unpaid work and a four-month restriction of liberty order.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register for three years.
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