A “dangerous and predatory” pervert who sent a slew of indecent messages to a young girl has been jailed after being caught for the second time.
Ian Hunter received a 20 month sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh for communicating with the girl online despite being banned from contacting youngsters for a previous offence.
The 31-year-old, who also has a High Court drug conviction, ignored the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), and continued messaging children via the online platform kik.
However, a police sting intercepted his attempts, leading to his arrest at his home in the Wester Hailes area of the Capital last year.
He will now serve more than a year behind bars and has been slapped with an Order of Lifelong restriction, meaning he must have supervision even after he leaves prison.
Detective Inspector Mike Smith, of Edinburgh's public protection unit, said: "Ian Hunter is a dangerous and predatory individual and we welcome his conviction and sentencing for his despicable actions.
“Online offenders may think they are anonymous, and they may not comprehend the terrible, devastating and lifelong impact their actions have on children. But there is no excuse for their actions.
“Police Scotland’s current #GetHelpOrGetCaught campaign proactively targets those who are either already offending or at risk of offending online, and provides signposts to available support."
DI Smith added: "Police Scotland is committed to the protection of children and to bringing all perpetrators of sexual abuse to justice. We would urge anyone who wishes to report any child protection concerns or sexual crime to contact us on 101 so we can conduct a thorough investigation.
