MAN SENT SEX ACT VIDEO TO ’12-YEAR-OLD GIRL’
A 27-year-old resident of Dunfermline admitted guilt in court for attempting to induce sexual activity with someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl, after he sent explicit images and a video of a sexual act to what he thought was a young girl.The man, identified as James Waite, engaged in conversations where he asked whether she liked his genitals, requested her to send nude pictures, and discussed sex.
Over 500 pages of messages exchanged between Waite and an adult decoy posing online as a 12-year-old girl were handed over to police.
Watite faced charges for attempting to cause a minor to view sexual images by sharing explicit material himself, and for attempting to engage in indecent communication with a young child.
The communication occurred from mid-February to early April of the previous year.
The case was detailed by procurator fiscal depute Laura McManus, who explained that Waite's conversations with the decoy started after he accepted a Facebook friend request.
The decoy, a 37-year-old woman, made her age clear early on, yet Waite acknowledged he was 'too old for her' and suggested they could be friends.
The online discussion moved to WhatsApp, where Waite persisted in requesting nude images and urged her to keep their conversations secret.
His messages grew increasingly explicit, including the sending of a nude picture and a video of himself performing a sex act.
During a planned meeting at a bus stop in Rosyth involving undercover paedophile hunters, Waite was confronted and recorded live on Facebook, during which he only admitted to communicating with one minor.
Police then detained Waite and collected the extensive chat logs, which revealed multiple instances of him discussing and expressing the desire to have sex with the decoy, along with mentions of going to local eateries and the seaside.
Defence counsel Calum Harris highlighted Waite's learning difficulties, noting he had never attended mainstream school but held a full-time job.
He emphasized Waite’s status as a first-time offender who did not accept having an uncontrollable attraction to young girls, and he expressed remorse for his actions.
The lawyer also pointed out that police statements suggested Waite was a victim of a possible assault during the Facebook Live confrontation, which some felt was somewhat aggressive.
The court postponed sentencing until June 16 to review background reports and maintained Waite's bail and registration on the Sex Offenders Register in the meantime.
