A 63-year-old Peterhead man travelled 130 miles to Kirkcaldy to meet his 14-year-old “girlfriend” – but when he got off the bus he was confronted by paedophile hunters.
Allan Cruickshank had planned to spend the night having sex at a guest house with the girl, who turned out to be an online decoy.
Cruickshank, now of King Street, Aberdeen, had been sending sexual messages telling the girl he would be her “first BF”.
Cruickshank returned to Fife for an appearance in the dock at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He admitted that in July 2024, he communicated with someone he believed to be a young girl.
He asked her to be his girlfriend and described numerous sex acts he wanted to do with her.
He made arrangements to travel from Peterhead with the intention of meeting the “girl” to engage in unlawful sexual activity with her.
However, he did not realise two groups of paedophile hunters were involved.
One set up the decoy, which snared Cruickshank, and another attended the bus station for the sting.
‘I will be your first BF’
Depute fiscal Rachel Hill said Cruickshank started an online conversation with the decoy, saying, “Hi beautiful” and was quickly told the girl was 14.
In later online discussions, he asked if he could be her boyfriend before engaging in graphic sexual instructions.
He arranged to meet the girl in Kirkcaldy and said he had booked a B&B in Leven for them to spend the night together.
He told her to say she was his daughter when they got to the accommodation.
“We can have sex. I will be your first BF,” he wrote.
Confronted on camera
On the day of their planned meeting, Cruickshank got on an early morning bus from Peterhead and was posting regular updates and photos from his journey.
When he arrived at Kirkcaldy, he was seen looking for someone but was confronted on camera by the paedophile hunters, who contacted the police.
Sheriff Robert More called for reports and Cruickshank will return to court for sentencing on May 29.
He has been put on the sex offenders register in the meantime.