DEAN COOPER SHOTTS SEX OFFENDER ESCAPES JAIL AFTER DISTRESSING ONLINE PERVERSION CASES

In a case that has shocked the community of Shotts, Dean Cooper, a 21-year-old man, narrowly avoided imprisonment after admitting to serious online sexual offenses involving two teenage girls. The incidents, which took place between March and June of the previous year, have raised concerns about online safety and the exploitation of minors in the area.

Cooper appeared before Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday to face sentencing for his actions. The court was told that the defendant initiated contact with a 14-year-old girl through Facebook, sending her a friend request out of the blue. What initially appeared to be innocent online interaction quickly took a disturbing turn as Cooper and the girl exchanged numerous text messages and engaged in phone conversations. During these calls, Cooper explicitly expressed his desire to have sexual relations with her.

It was established that Cooper, residing on Wyvis Place in Shotts, had sent the girl sexual images of himself and had induced her to send similar indecent photographs. The court heard that the girl, overwhelmed by the distress caused by these exchanges, attempted to take her own life by overdosing on 20 paracetamol tablets. Her recovery was followed by her confiding in her mother about the ordeal, which prompted police involvement and an investigation into Cooper’s conduct.

Prosecutor Neil Thomson detailed that Cooper’s exchanges with the girl included him requesting and receiving ten topless photographs from her, while he sent her three explicit images of himself. The communication was confirmed through messages found on both their phones. The prosecutor also revealed that Cooper had told the girl during their phone conversations that he wanted to have sex with her, further emphasizing the predatory nature of his actions.

During the police search of Cooper’s residence, his mother was present and questioned him about the girl’s age. Cooper admitted that he knew she was only 14, a fact that compounded the severity of his offenses. The court was informed that Cooper’s initial contact with the girl was seemingly innocent but quickly escalated into sexual misconduct.

In a separate but related incident, another 14-year-old girl was also targeted by Cooper through social media. This second case involved Cooper persuading her to send topless images and instructing her to perform degrading sexual acts, despite knowing her age. The girl, distressed by the exchanges, also attempted to overdose on medication and subsequently confided in her mother, leading to police intervention.

Following these incidents, Sheriff David Bicket ordered Cooper to be placed on the sex offenders register and imposed a sentence of 180 hours of unpaid work, along with two years of supervision. Although the court acknowledged that such crimes typically warrant a custodial sentence, Cooper was instead given a relatively lenient punishment. He was granted bail and will be sentenced further next month.

It is noteworthy that Cooper’s pleas of not guilty to additional charges, including threats to publish the girl’s photos online and inducing another 14-year-old girl to send indecent images, were accepted by prosecutors. The case has left the community of Shotts deeply concerned about the dangers posed by online predators and the importance of safeguarding vulnerable minors from exploitation.