WILLIAM YOUNG SENT SEXUAL VIDEOS TO EAST LOTHIAN CHILD HUNTER GROUP TRAP
A man named William Young, residing in East Lothian, has been sentenced to a year in prison after engaging in a disturbing online predator scheme.The 55-year-old man believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old girl and subsequently sent her explicit videos and images of his genitals.
He also made explicit requests to meet in person and asked her to send nude photographs of herself.
Young’s online interactions came to light when members of the paedophile hunter group, known as Confronted and Caught, identified his contact with what he thought was a young girl.
The group had created a fake profile under the name Louise Grey, claiming to be a 12-year-old girl, and engaged with Young through social media platforms.
After Young sent his address, ostensibly to receive a Christmas card from the girl, the group members visited his former residence in Tranent, East Lothian, on December 9 of the previous year.
They then contacted the police, leading to Young’s arrest and subsequent court proceedings.
During his court appearance earlier this year, Young pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to cause a child to view indecent images, sending videos and images of a sexual nature, and attempting to communicate indecently with a minor.
He appeared again at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing, where Sheriff Charles Walls emphasized the gravity of the offences.
The sheriff stated that the punishment should serve as a reflection of the seriousness of the crimes and the disapproval of the public.
Young’s legal representative, Paul Dunn, acknowledged that his client was aware he was communicating with someone he believed to be a minor, despite Young’s earlier denial of this in a social work report.
Dunn emphasized that Young understood his actions were wrong and out of order, and that he was aware of the girl’s age during their exchanges.
In his sentencing remarks, Sheriff Walls highlighted the severity of the offences, noting that Young had been convicted of two serious crimes on indictment.
The sheriff reviewed the evidence, including screenshots of Young’s conversations with the decoy, and concluded that a custodial sentence was necessary.
Young was sentenced to 12 months in prison and will be registered on the sex offenders register for ten years.
Additionally, his name will be forwarded to Scottish Ministers for consideration of inclusion on the list of individuals barred from working with children and vulnerable groups.
The court was also informed by Fiscal depute Morgan Beattie that the group’s member had created the fake Facebook profile to lure Young.
The messages Young sent were highly inappropriate, including questions about sexual preferences, explicit language, and expressions of love for young girls.
He continued these conversations on WhatsApp, where he asked if the girl had seen an adult man naked and made further sexual comments.
Young explicitly asked to meet for sexual activity and unwittingly provided his address when the decoy, posing as the girl, said she wanted to send him a Christmas card.
Young’s actions, which took place between November 13 and December 9 last year at an address in Tranent, involved multiple charges, including causing a child to view sexual images, sending indecent images and videos, and repeatedly requesting sexual images and encounters.
His guilty plea underscores the disturbing nature of his conduct and the serious legal consequences he now faces.
