An international sex offender was today facing jail after he was snared when he sent sick videos to an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Michael Finlay then threatened “Abi Myers” – in reality an undercover police officer posing as a decoy online – with being raped by a gang of 20 men if she didn’t send nude images of herself to him.
Officers then raided Finlay’s home in Tayport, Fife, and charged him with a single sex offence before a court released him on bail.
Cops went back to his home to check on him in September last year and discovered “concerning” material on his phone.
That then uncovered a sordid “online relationship” that Finlay had started with a 13-year-old girl who lives in the state of Wisconsin, USA.
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American authorities were contacted and interviewed the girl – who said she viewed Finlay as her boyfriend and that they had swapped images and videos of each other carrying out sex acts.
Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan said Finlay’s phone contained “heavily sexualised” conversations about the sex acts Finlay wanted to carry out on the girl.
Addressing the charges involving the undercover cop, Mr Duncan said: “He asked if she like to masturbate and she said she didn’t want to talk about it.
“He said he would trace her if she didn’t answer.
“He repeatedly demanded she answer the question or he would start to trace her and she would have ‘many men coming to f*** her’.
“She stated she didn’t want to talk and he stated if she didn’t he would call 20 men to come to her and that they would impregnate her.”
Finlay then sent a message telling the “girl” he was carrying out a sex act on himself before sending her a live video of him engaged in it.
Mr Duncan said the relationship with the girl in America was uncovered after Finlay had been charged with the first offence.
Police came to his address to check his phones and discovered vile conversations with the girl, who was later interviewed by American authorities.
Mr Duncan said: “She confirmed he had posed as a 17-year-old male from Scotland.
“Some time in January they began ‘dating’ and he revealed he was 28.
“She stated she had no problem with the age difference.
“He had started requesting nude images and she sent partial and fully nude images and videos of her performing sexual acts.”
Finlay, 28, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to one charge of distributing indecent images of children, two offences under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act, and one of breaching bail.
Defence solicitor Paul Ralph said he would reserve his plea in mitigation for a later sentencing hearing.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month and remanded Finlay in custody meantime.
He placed Finlay on the sex offenders register meantime.