A serial sex offender faces jail after posing as teenage girl and grooming young boys.
Aberdeen man Lee Chapman, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday after admitting the charges at a previous hearing.
Fiscal depute Anne MacDonald told the court that over a 14-month period, Chapman had pretended to be an 18-year-old hairdresser to lure two boys, aged 13 and 14.
The court heard Chapman had sent sexually-explicit messages via Facebook and instant messaging service What’s App to both boys, including indecent images.
He was only caught after police officers stopped him on the street because they suspected he was trying to buy drugs.
Miss MacDonald said the officers found the images on his phone, which he had failed to declare to police despite being on the sex offenders register.
All of this was done while he was subject to a risk of sexual harm order and released on licence from a previous offence.
Solicitor Stuart Murray told the court Chapman had a “predilection” for young boys.
Mr Murray said his client had admitted this himself and had, on previous occasions, asked to be incarcerated because he felt it was the “best option”.
He added that Chapman was “unable to control himself” when communicating, or considering communication with young boys.
Sheriff Annella Cowan, presiding, said Chapman was “clearly a dangerous person”.
Deferring sentence until tomorrow, Sheriff Cowan said she was “faced with a dilemma” concerning the appropriate sentence to pass due to the serious nature of the offences and Chapman’s previous convictions.