Update: Figures was handed a three-year Community Payback Order which will see him supervised by social workers and complete 300 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months He was also placed Figures on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the next three years and banned him from owning any devices which can access the internet, deleting his history, contacting anyone aged 17 or under or using any email addresses unless given permission by his social worker. March 2019 Pervert sent text messages to a teenage girl offering cash for naked pictures A sordid creep has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register after sending text messages to a teenage girl offering cash for naked pictures. William Figures, 33, offered the 15-year-old girl, who cannot be identified, £10 for topless pictures, then he upped his offer with another £20 if she sent him fully naked photos of her body to him. Paisley Sheriff Court heard the youngster was so distraught at receiving the texts from Figures, she was left “visibly shaking” with fear and “crying inconsolably.” Prosecutor Keri Marshall told the court: “The complainer received a message from the accused’s mobile phone on her mobile phone. “It read, ‘Right, I am perv. Well whit male isn’t, lol? “‘I was thinking, you could send a nude pic and that could be aner ten spot. ‘But if it’s a full nude body pic, I would give you £20 on top of the tenner lol XXX.’” The fiscal depute added: “This caused the complainer great distress. She contacted another witness and asked to meet with her. “When the complainer met with her she was visibly shaking and crying inconsolably. “The witness asked her to contact her mother, which she did. “The mother who received a call from the complainer was unable to fathom what she was saying, due to her distress. “A short time later she was able to ascertain details of where her daughter was and attended immediately. “Upon arrival the complainer rushed into her mother’s
arms where she collapsed sobbing.” The court heard the child’s mum got to the bottom of what was going on after looking at her daughter’s phone and contacted the police. Cops attended Figures’ home address armed with a search warrant and seized his mobile phone. While carrying out a search for other electronic devices, they stumbled on a gas-powered air-rifle planked under his bed at a property in Kintyre Avenue, Linwood. Figures was arrested and taken into custody. When asked about sending the text messages to the child, he replied it was a “joke.” Yesterday he appeared at a pre-trial hearing where he pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally, and for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or to cause humiliation or distress to a child aged 15, sending messages asking her to send nude photographs of herself in exchange for money on May 17, 2018. He also admitted possession of the air weapon without the proper registration certificate in the hearing before Sheriff Tom McCartney. Sheriff McCartney told the accused: “All options remain open to the court, and given the nature of the charges, you will be subject to notification requirements under the Sexual Offenders’ Act. “That period will be for period for which you will be notified in relation to these matters.” Figures will discover his fate when he reappears for sentence on April 17.