An offshore welder has been placed on the sex offenders register after he made an explicit video call to a female recruiter who had contacted him about a job.
John Souter, 40, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted repeatedly calling the woman before making the video call where he could be seen touching himself in a bathroom.
Souter, who has previous sexual offence and public indecency convictions, then forwarded the woman two graphic sexual images.
When challenged over the conduct by the woman’s partner, Souter stated: “Oops, sorry, wrong person.”
He then begged the man not to contact the police.
Woman received repeated calls from unknown number
Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told the court that the female recruitment officer sent a message to contractors on October 9 2021 asking if anyone was looking for work.
Souter replied and advised the woman he had a new telephone number, which he forwarded to her.
At around 5pm the woman was having dinner with her partner when she received a mobile phone call from a number she did not recognise.
“The complainer ignored the call and a video call was attempted, which she also ignored,” Ms Martin said.
“As another missed call came in the woman came to believe it may be work-related and found via her work computer that the call came from the accused.
“She sent a message asking: ‘John, were you trying to call me?’
“The woman then received a video call in which she and her partner observed a male masturbating with the video pointed down towards his penis.”
Souter then forwarded two images of male genitalia via picture messages as well as two further explicit text messages.
Accused begged partner not to call police
The woman’s partner immediately messaged Souter and asked him why he was sending indecent images and videos while informing him he would be contacting the police.
Souter replied saying: “Oops, sorry, wrong person”, before adding: “Please don’t [contact the police]. I’m so embarrassed. Please.”
Defence solicitor Liam Mcallister told the court he took “no exception stated in the Crown narrative” and called for background reports to be carried out on his client.
Sheriff Ian Duguid deferred sentence on Souter, of Cairncry Road, Aberdeen, in order for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out.
He also made the offshore worker subject to the notification requirement of the sex offenders register.
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