A sick paedophile caught sending sexual messages to an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for more than a year.
Joshua Parkinson, 29, was snared by police after he’d been chatting to what he believed was a child for almost a month last year.
During the exchange, Parkinson said he would like to see the remove her school uniform and described her as “a beautiful little girl”.
He also performed sex acts and sent the footage to the child, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
‘I’m only 12’
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told the court that the decoy named ‘Amelia’ was a law enforcement operative who had been authorised to play the role of a 12-year-old child in order identify people online with a sexual interest in children.
On May 17 last year, a Snapchat account belonging to Parkinson began a conversation with Amelia, asking her if she had an interest in older men and stating that he was in his late 20s.
“I’m only 12,” she replied.
Ms Thompson told the court: “At 1.33pm on May 18 2023, the accused replied, ‘That’s a bit younger than I’d like yeah haha, I’m looking for a sub’ then he explained to Amelia – ‘It’s a sexual thing haha.’
“The accused asked Amelia about her sexual interests and experience with boys and girls.
“He also asked if she ever did anything sexual by herself and stated he would like to see her take her school uniform off after school.
“At 1pm on May 19 2023, the accused stated, ‘I could even send you some nudes of myself too if you want?’”
Parkinson then sent three images of his private parts to Amelia.
As the conversation continued, Parkinson told Amelia that he would “like to see more of her,” and asked to see her in “just her underwear or something like that”.
On May 30 2023, Amelia sent Parkinson several images that were not of a sexual nature, but he continued to talk to her in a sexualised manner – asking to see her without underwear.
He then asked if she would like to see him carrying out a sex act and forwarded video footage of it to the ‘child’.
In relation to another picture of Amelia, Parkinson then described her as a “beautiful little girl” before forwarding further sexual images and videos of himself.
The conversation was then forwarded to the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit and police executed a warrant at Parkinson’s address, where they found two mobile phones that contained the chat.
In the dock, Parkinson pleaded guilty to one charge of sending sexual communications and footage to what he believed to be a child.
He also admitted a second charge of attempting to induce a child to carry out a sexual act.
‘Isolated young man’
Defence solicitor Lynn Bentley described Parkinson as an “isolated young man” who “does not dispute” what he did.
She added: “The offences would justify custody, but he appears as a first offender and has been willing to engage with the background reports.
“If he is willing to change, then he needs programmes that would not be available within the prison setting.”
However, Sheriff Ian Wallace told Parkinson that he was satisfied that in his case there was no alternative to a prison sentence.
“The court has to express its strong displeasure in the actions you took,” he said.
Sheriff Wallace sentenced Parkinson, of Wood Gardens, Kemnay, to 14 months in prison.
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