HUGH WILSON FROM AYR CAUGHT IN UNDERCOVER POLICE STING INVOLVING TROON CHILD

In December 2019, Hugh Wilson, a resident of Ayr, found himself at the center of a serious criminal investigation after he was caught attempting to engage in inappropriate communications with a girl he believed to be only 13 years old. The incident unfolded over a span of four days, during which Wilson used the messaging application Kik to send a series of indecent and sexual messages to what he thought was a teenage girl. However, the individual on the other end of the messages was actually an undercover police officer operating a decoy account, designed to catch individuals attempting to exploit minors.

Wilson, aged 58, was living in Ayr at the time of the offense, which took place at a property located on Lochlea Avenue in Troon. The messages, which were of a highly inappropriate and sexual nature, were sent between August 20 and August 23 of the previous year. The police investigation revealed that Wilson had been communicating with the decoy girl, named ‘Abbey,’ through Kik Messenger, a popular mobile messaging app. His repeated attempts to contact her and the content of the messages were deemed by authorities to be deeply depraved and unacceptable.

Following his arrest, Wilson appeared before Ayr Sheriff Court on Thursday, November 28, to face sentencing. He had previously admitted to two charges related to his conduct. Notably, Wilson was a first-time offender, with only a minor previous record involving a road traffic matter. His guilty plea was entered for the charges of repeatedly sending indecent communications to a minor he believed to be 13, with the messages being of an incident and sexual nature. The court also heard that Wilson had breached his bail conditions prior to sentencing.

In response to his actions, the court imposed a comprehensive set of penalties and restrictions. Wilson was ordered to complete a community payback order, which includes supervision for a period of three years. He is also required to attend the 'Moving Forward, Making Changes' programme, a behavioral treatment course aimed at addressing sexual offending behavior. Additionally, Wilson must undertake 300 hours of unpaid community work within the next 12 months and adhere to strict conduct requirements, including a prohibition on contact with anyone under the age of 17 unless supervised.

Further restrictions include a ban on using electronic devices such as computers or mobile phones that do not have internet history tracking capabilities. Wilson was also fitted with an electronic tag and placed under a Restriction of Liberty Order, which mandates that he remains at his home address between 7pm and 7am for the following year. To ensure ongoing monitoring, he was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a period of five years.

During the court proceedings, defence solicitor Tony Currie mentioned that a group known as Wolf Pack, a paedophile hunters organization, had taken an interest in Wilson. He stated, “A certain organisation (Wolf Pack) have taken a keen interest in him. In the last two occasions this case was called they were represented—and they were abusive towards him as he left the court building.”

Sheriff Scott Pattison, presiding over the case, emphasized the severity of Wilson’s conduct, describing it as “repugnant” and “simply awful,” and confirmed the various restrictions and orders that Wilson must adhere to moving forward, including his placement on the sex offenders’ register for five years.