EDINBURGH HOTEL WORKER SUBHOJIT PAUL SEXUALLY GROOMED CHILD ONLINE
In June 2021, Subhojit Paul received a sentence of 185 hours of unpaid work and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for one year.An order was also issued banning him from forming any "association" with anyone under 18 without social worker approval.
In May 2021, Paul was caught in a paedophile hunter operation after he sent an obscene photo to someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
Paul, 36, sent a photograph of an erect penis to the individual claiming to be a young girl named "Lauren," with whom he discussed meeting up.
Despite being repeatedly told the girl’s age, he commented "you look sexy" and asked her to be his "girlfriend." He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on a Wednesday and pleaded guilty to sending sexual messages and an explicit image to someone he believed was a minor.
Fiscal depute Callum Thomson explained that Paul was caught through a sting operation by a volunteer group that targets men grooming children online.
The group, consisting of around 40 members, used decoys—profiles pretending to be children—on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Skout, where the decoys posted youthful-looking photos.
According to Mr.
Thomson, Lauren’s decoy profile contacted Paul in October 2019 on Skout.
The decoy pretended to be a 13-year-old girl from Newcastle.
Paul initially claimed he was 14 and from Edinburgh and asked about meeting in Newcastle.
He then exchanged phone numbers with the decoy, who was able to trace his identity through his Facebook profile.
A few days later, Paul messaged Lauren on WhatsApp, again claiming she was 13.
He said, "I know and I’m coming to meet you," and inquired if she liked chocolate, promising to bring some.
Later, he revealed he was actually 19 and asked the decoy to send photos of herself.
On November 5, he approached her again on WhatsApp, asking if she was single, to which she replied she had never had a boyfriend and was only 13.
Paul responded with "Really?
Love you" and suggested she be his girlfriend, adding, "You look sexy." He made further inappropriate comments about her body, asking for her size and requesting a kiss.
When the decoy said she’d never kissed a boy, Paul urged her to do so, saying he would kiss her in her breasts.
That same evening, Paul sent a photograph of an erect penis via Skout to the decoy and asked if she had seen one before.
The photograph did not include his face.
Sheriff Adrian Cottam deferred sentencing for Paul, from Edinburgh’s Corstorphine area, until next month to allow for reports.
