A depraved paedophile sent young girls disturbing and graphic online messages and bragged about how he had sexually abused children in real life.
Shaun Summers’ sickening sexual obsession with children came to light when he was stung by an online vigilante group that had set up a decoy child profile.
But when the police examined his devices they found a catalogue of horrific chat logs with underage girls in which he stated he was “deadly serious” about sexually abusing children.
He also gave children graphic instructions on how to perform sex acts and encouraged them to send him explicit images.
Summers, 27, stared straight ahead and did not react as the court was read a detailed account of his disgusting messages.
Accused acknowledged he knew sex with underage girls ‘wrong’
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie told Aberdeen Sheriff Court a volunteer member of the vigilante group Maximum Exposure set up a dating app profile posing as a 12-year-old girl.
On October 27 2021, Summers started chatting with the ‘child’, who in her first message claimed she was 12 years old.
After a period of innocent conversation, Summers began asking about the girl’s swimwear, showers and baths.
The decoy repeatedly referred to being at school and gave “bland and non-committal” replies.
But Summers continued to message, describing her profile picture as “hot” and saying she had nice breasts and that he wanted to see more.
His messages became “overtly sexual” and he asked for a picture of the decoy’s underwear.
Ms Gammie told the court: “After checking if her mum was able to access her phone, he then told her that he was holding his ‘thing’ in his hand and he asked her to touch herself.”
‘Basis for his predilection for sex with underage girls’
Summers then offered to send a picture of his “thing” and asked her to send him pictures of her in the bath.
Summers continued talking to the decoy child until April 5 2022 when the vigilante group, who had managed to track him down, confronted him and live-streamed the incident online.
Police were then called and the group passed evidence to officers of messages sent by Summers.
Summers was arrested and, in interview, admitted sending sexual communication to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl but “would not state why he had done it”.
His iPhone was seized and, during the cybercrime examination, evidence was found of communications with other people who Summers believed, and who may well have been, girls aged between 13 and 15.
Chat logs with a girl who claimed to be 15 made up approximately 250 pages when printed out and revealed a “significant volume of graphic, disturbing and highly sexualised conversations”.
‘I’m being deadly serious’
Summers frequently discussed having sex with the child and graphically described his and her genitalia.
Ms Gammie said: “He explained the basis for his predilection for sex with underage girls, whilst acknowledging that he knew it was wrong.
“He discussed having sexual activity with children.”
Summers also told the girl that he had sexually abused children before although, despite police investigation, no evidence of this being true was found.
Another chat log showed Summers communicated with a 13-year-old girl.
Ms Gammie said: “The accused discussed her bra, breasts and bottom and asked her
questions about her underwear.
“He asked if she had seen her friends naked.”
The child asked how old Summers was and, when he replied 25, she asked him “why he was adding 13-year-olds and asking them inappropriate questions” and ended the conversation.
Another 13-year-old girl simply replied “okay bye” when Summers told her he was 25.
Summers wanted child to ‘talk dirty’ to him
But that didn’t deter Summers, who continued to send her a vile graphic message describing wanting to perform a sex act on her.
In yet another chat which appeared to be with a 13-year-old girl, Summers stated he was involved in ongoing sexual abuse of children in real life.
Summers also graphically described sexual activity he wanted the child he was messaging to engage in with him and another child.
He continued to brag about sexually abusing children and warned: “I’m being deadly serious.”
The paedophile even offered to send the child pictures and videos of him sexually abusing another child.
He also requested the child send him sexual images of herself and “talk dirty” to him. He sent her videos of himself carrying out sex acts.
Summers, of Ramsay Terrace, Fraserburgh, pled guilty to three charges of attempting to communicate indecently with an older child and one of attempting to communicate indecently with a child under 13.
He also admitted one charge of attempting to communicate sexually with an older child and attempting to cause them to look at a sexual image.
Sheriff Andrew Miller deferred sentence on Summers for background reports and a risk assessment.
Defence agent Stephanie Milligan reserved mitigation for the sentencing hearing.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.