A pervert who encouraged a paedophile hunter posing online as a 13-year-old girl to watch pornography has been spared jail.
Andrew Tinsley sent the ‘child’ sexual images and “encouraged” her to look at pornography and said: “You’re just 13. It’s wrong.”.
When police eventually arrested him, he told cops he was drunk and admitted sending images that “a girl of that age shouldnae be looking at”.
Tinsley, 37, pled guilty to a charge of attempting to communicate indecently with a 13-year-old child and attempting to cause them to view sexual images, when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month.
Talk turned sexual
On December 12 last year, the “child” received a message from Tinsley.
The pair initially engaged in “general chat” with the decoy quickly advising she was 13 years old and at school.
During a conversation between January 22 and 24, Tinsley advised her to “Keep yourself safe and don’t meet anyone off here.”
A few days later he messaged her saying he was bored and was keeping a thought to himself, adding: “You’re just 13. It’s wrong.”
He then explained that he couldn’t have sex with her and, when advised the child had not “done sex” or “kissed a boy”, he told her to keep it that way.
He said: “You’re 13. Don’t be in a hurry to grow up.”
Graphic messages
But on February 1 he told the decoy child he was “horny” and said she was “too young for what I want to do to you”.
Tinsley then described in graphic detail having sex with the decoy when she turned 16.
On February 9 he “advised” her about various sexual acts, sent related photos and messages encouraging her to look at pornography on the internet.
Tinsley also told the decoy “it would be a crime if he had sex with her at her age” or sent her a photo of his genitals.
The online child activist group then passed Tinsley’s details on to another local group that turned up at his home and confronted him.
He made himself ‘feel sick’
Tinsley admitted sending the messages, describing it as “stupidity”.
He later told police he had sent “inappropriate” messages to a schoolgirl on one occasion, including sexual pictures “a girl of that age shouldnae be looking at”.
He said he had deleted the messages the following day and that his actions made him “feel sick”.
After his sentencing was deferred for reports, Tinsley’s defence agent Alex Burn said the father-of-one was “disgusted” by his actions and couldn’t explain his motivation.
He said his client had been drinking too much at the time but hadn’t touched alcohol since.
“He is disgusted by his own behaviour and accepts full responsibility,” he added. “He has a 13-year-old daughter and his biggest worry is what will happen to her if he is given a custodial sentence.”
‘You should be thoroughly ashamed’
Sheriff William Summers told Tinsley he’s carried out a “deplorable” offence but would not get the help and support needed were he handed a custodial sentence.
“This is a single charge but it’s a deplorable offence,” he said. “You sent highly sexualised messages to someone who you thought to be 13.
“The fact that she was not 13 if not of note.
“You should be thoroughly ashamed of the way that you behaved in the early past of this year.”
He handed Tinsley, of Clifton Road, Aberdeen, a three-year supervision order, a six-month curfew and ordered he carry out the Moving Forward Making Changes programme.
Tinsley has also been made subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen, as well as the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group HERE.
