NAIRN SEX OFFENDER CODEY MASSON FACES COURT OVER MULTIPLE VICTIMS AND SEXUAL OFFENCES

Over a period of four years, a disturbing pattern of sexual misconduct was carried out by Codey Masson, a man from Nairn, involving five young women and an underage girl. The allegations detail a series of increasingly serious offences that have now culminated in a court appearance at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Masson, aged 28, faced a total of six charges, including engaging in sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16. The other charges involved communicating indecently with multiple women, sending explicit photographs of his genitalia, and exposing himself to some of his victims. These offences span from August 2015 to August 2019, a period during which Masson’s conduct was under scrutiny.

According to the prosecution, led by Fiscal depute Pauline Gair, most of the incidents began with seemingly innocent interactions on social media platforms. However, these exchanges quickly escalated into sexualised encounters. The first known offence involved a girl approximately 13 or 14 years old, whom Masson initially met at his home in Nairn. The court heard that the two began exchanging messages, but the situation took a darker turn when Masson met her at the local Co-op on Moss-side Road in Nairn. During this encounter, he expressed romantic interest, telling her that he liked her more than just a friend. Despite her clear disinterest, Masson’s behaviour became increasingly inappropriate.

Mrs Gair explained that Masson looked around to ensure no one else was nearby before exposing himself to the young girl and asking if she would like to touch him. The girl responded by telling him to put it away and then walked away from him. A few days later, the same girl encountered Masson again in the woods near Nairn, where he approached her, apologised, and then cuddled her. The court was told that he again exposed himself, performed a sex act on himself, and asked her to do the same. The girl, distressed, ran away from him.

Further incidents involved the girl mourning the death of a friend at a house in Nairn. During this time, Masson cuddled her and then touched her inappropriately, again exposing himself and performing a sexual act. She immediately told him to leave her alone and left the house.

In addition to these incidents, the prosecution outlined that Masson repeatedly asked his victims for nude photographs, sent them images of his genitals and himself lying naked, and solicited sex. All the girls refused his advances and did not consent to the images or requests he made.

During the hearing, defence counsel Bill Adam acknowledged that Masson had not offended since 2019 and expressed regret that his previous 2018 offence was not included in the current charges. He also noted that his client had completed a social work programme and had moved on from his past behaviour.

Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald decided to defer sentencing until March 12 to allow for a background report and an assessment of Masson. The court also ordered that he be placed on a programme aimed at rehabilitating sex offenders. In the meantime, Masson was immediately placed on the sex offender’s register, reflecting the seriousness of the allegations and the court’s response to his actions.