A pervert who planned to take a 14-year-old girl to a Glasgow hotel and ply her with alcohol has escaped jail.
Today at Glasgow Sheriff Court Craig Bradley, 46, was ordered to perform 270 hours of unpaid work. He will be supervised for 18 months.
Bradley, of Royston, Glasgow, was caught on video as he arrived for what he thought was a meeting with a 14-year-old girl.
He was snared by vigilante group Wolfpack Hunters at Buchanan Bus Station on March 4, last year.
He admitted sending sexual communication and arranging to meet a girl.
The footage - live streamed on Facebook - showed Bradley carrying swimming trunks in a Sainsbury’s bag.
When asked why he was there, Bradley responded “Phone my mates, I’m not a paedo.”
He then claimed: "I'm a lawyer."
The court heard Bradley was using a social messaging platform to communicate with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl called Kenzie. In fact he was in touch with a decoy from the vigilante group.
Prosecutor Mark Allan said: “The decoy said ‘I’m Kenzie, 14 from Clydebank and I’m not feeling well.’
“Mr Bradley responded ‘That’s a shame, you look so cute.”
Bradley arranged to take the decoy to a hotel and buy her her vodka and coke. He said it was their ‘wee secret’.
When caught Bradley told the vigilante group: “I was going to meet her and send her home, so that she was safe.”
In the video, Bradley claimed he was a solicitor before saying he worked in an office doing admin.
Bradley has lost his job and long term partner since his actions came to light.
Sheriff Alayne Swanson said: “This was a very serious matter, I hope you understand if you breach this order there will be no alternative to custody.”
