JOSHUA NELSON FROM COWDENBEATH SENT MESSAGES TO 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN KIRKCALDY

A man from Cowdenbeath, Joshua Nelson, aged 26, has narrowly avoided imprisonment after sending disturbing and explicit messages to a 12-year-old girl via Snapchat in Kirkcaldy. The incident has raised serious concerns about online safety and the exploitation of minors, prompting a court to impose strict community-based penalties.

According to court records, Nelson used an account named “easy money” to initiate contact with the young girl on the popular social media platform. The messages he sent included alarming and inappropriate statements such as “I’m going to get you pregnant” and “I’m going to rape you x whether you like it or not.” These messages, which were of a sexual nature, caused significant distress to the girl, who later confided in her mother about the disturbing exchanges.

During the proceedings at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane reviewed the case and decided against sending Nelson to prison. Instead, she ordered him to complete 160 hours of unpaid work as part of a community payback order. Additionally, Nelson will be under supervision for a period of one year and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 12 months. The sheriff issued a stern warning that any breach of these conditions would result in him returning to court and potentially facing custody.

Fiscal depute Dev Kapadia explained that the girl had informed police that she was only 12 years old at the time of the messages. Although police obtained screenshots of their later conversations, they did not capture the initial exchange where the girl disclosed her age. Nelson maintained that he was unaware of her age, claiming he had no knowledge of her being a minor. The girl’s distress was evident, and she reported the messages to her mother, which led to police involvement.

Nelson was arrested in December following an investigation. During police interviews, he admitted that the Snapchat account used to communicate with the girl was indeed his. He explained that he had created the account anonymously with the intention of giving money to women on Only Fans, a subscription-based platform often associated with adult content. When shown the messages, Nelson acknowledged the conversation but described it as a “kink thing,” asserting that he was not malicious and that his actions were purely sexual in nature.

He further claimed that he did not know the girl’s age and stated, “it’s not something I have a passion for.” Nelson expressed disgust at the idea of a child being involved, saying, “I would not want anyone to do that to my daughter.” The police officer noted that Nelson appeared extremely shocked and mortified when told the girl was only 12 years old. Despite the evidence, including most of the chat screenshots, the initial exchange was not captured in the evidence presented.

In court last month, Nelson admitted to communicating indecently with a child in July of the previous year, repeatedly sending her sexual messages and stating he would rape her. His appearance on Monday was for sentencing, where the court decided on a community-based penalty rather than incarceration, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense and the need for supervision and registration as a sex offender.