A Paisley creep who discussed having sex with children to an undercover cop has been spared jail.
Scott Thomson, 43, who was also caught with a bestiality image has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and is banned from having contact with children aged 17 or under.
He has also been handed mandatory supervision by the local authority and placed on a programme which works with sex offenders in Renfrewshire.
He appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to a charge of taking or permitting to be taken, indecent images of children on January 3, 2016.
He also admitted having in his possession indecent images of children on dates between January 3, 2016, and January 20, this year, at his home in Paisley.
The court heard Thomson was caught by child protection officers in Renfrewshire after receiving intelligence from cops working down south.
Thomson had been conducting disturbing chats with an officer posing as someone called Mark, another user of notorious sex porn websites, when he made “sexualised comments” about “having access to children.”
Procurator fiscal depute David McDonald said: “An undercover police officer working with Yorkshire and Humber Regional Police crime intelligence unit, known as Mark, enlisted to websites.
“On November 3, 2020, he was on one site when he accepted a friend request from a user known as 10Saxxx.
“On November 11, 2020, the same user appeared on another website with the name Saxxx100, where he engaged in conversation with the officer.
“During conversations in a chat room, the accused expressed views about having sex with minors.
“He said he had current access to children.”
Cops down south passed info to Renfrewshire Child Protection officers who raided his home early on January 20 this year.
The creep was discovered with five indecent images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
He also had kept a Category-A image of a girl aged between 12 and 14 engaging in a sex act with a dog.
There were four other images of girls aged between ten and 12, all Category C, and these depicted victims being forced to pose for the camera.
Defence agent Tony Callahan said Thomson’s wife and family are standing by him, despite the sexual offences’ conviction.
He said: “He continues to enjoy the support of his wife and family despite the considerable stress that has placed on their relationship.
“He has no previous convictions of any kind and engaged fully with the local authority in the preparation of background reports.
“The authors of the report feel that he can be managed safely in the community perhaps with the imposition of a community payback order with supervision and a conduct requirement.
“He does accept that this is a very serious matter which can give rise to custodial sentence.
“He is particularly anxious about that and would comply with the court’s instructions.”
Sheriff McCartney, who studied reports prior to sentencing, told the accused he was prepared to hand him a sentence as “a direct alternative to prison.”
He placed him on the Sex Offenders’ Register for two years, and ordered he attend the Moving Forward, Making Changes programme, which works with sex offenders.
He was also banned from having any direct or indirect contact with children aged 17 or under.
Thomson was also ordered to perform 140 hours of unpaid work for the community within one year and has been placed under mandatory supervision of the council for two years.
The court handed him a conduct requirement heavily restricting his internet use and requiring him to surrender devices for inspection, and not delete or hide his search history.
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