A 42-year-old Inverness man who admitted sending sexual text messages to an underage girl has been spared jail.
Ian Simpson, of Ballifeary Road, appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday after a background report had been prepared.
The court heard that the offence occurred at a house in the city between November 25 and December 29 last year.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood said although the sex offence merited a custodial sentence, Simpson’s lack of record and the availability of a suitable alternative meant he could avoid that.
He placed Simpson on three years social work supervision, ordered him to remain on the sex offenders register for the same period and ruled that he participate in a sex offenders rehabilitation programme. He also ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work.
His lawyer, advocate Shahid Latif, said his client was assessed as being at low risk of re-offending or causing harm.
He added: “He is at a loss to explain why he did this.”
