Child groomer sent depraved messages to undercover officer

CHILD GROOMER SENT DEPRAVED MESSAGES TO UNDERCOVER OFFICER

A retired project manager from Auchterarder, David Devine (aged 60), was convicted after sending vile sexual messages over three days to a police setup posing as a 12-year-old girl.

He attempted to persuade her not to wear underwear, and arranged to meet her at a shopping centre in Glasgow.

The messages became increasingly depraved, including a request for her to wear no underwear so he could 'feel her properly,' and a false claim about owning a black Mercedes with tinted windows.

Devine claimed he was not seeking his own sexual gratification but was trying to 'smoke out' an online 'catfish' he suspected was a middle-aged man behind the account.

He used an obscure messaging app, Kik, and initially presented himself as a 39-year-old lawyer from the UK.

During police interviews, Devine admitted to believing the account was impersonating a child and said he tried to catch out the impersonator.

When police arrived to arrest him at his home, he deleted the Kik app in a panic.

He did not deny involvement but expressed regret, claiming he was not aroused and was motivated by ego and a desire to expose online fraud.

Sheriff Murdo MacLeod KC presided over a two-day trial at Perth Sheriff Court, where Devine was found guilty of attempting to cause a child to participate in sexual activity and arranging to meet for unlawful sexual activity.

He was placed on the sex offenders register and is due for sentencing next month.