A repeat child groomer could be sent to prison after he was caught sending sexual messages to a decoy.
Former cabaret singer Darren Whyte, 34, told the ‘child’ – actually an adult – he would pay £15 for indecent images.
Social workers later caught the sex offender illegally hiding a mobile phone in the waistband of his trousers.
The creep now has a third conviction for sex offences, having previously tried to groom eight different teenage children online in 2016.
Whyte, from Aberdeen, breached his community payback order twice but did not receive a jail term before being fined £250 in 2019 for flashing two teenagers outside Falkirk Council’s social work department.
‘I know it’s not right’
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Whyte messaged a profile on social media named ‘Millie Baxter’ from his former home in Crossgate, Cupar.
Prosecutor Kate Scarborough said: “The witness was working for an organisation posing as a decoy.
“Messages were sent backwards and forwards. The account stated clearly that they were 14-years-old.”
In one exchange, Whyte asked for an intimate picture of the teen for £15.
Police were contacted and Whyte made several admissions, including saying: “I want to be honest.
“I was talking to Millie for a couple of weeks, she was coming from Southampton.
“I know it’s not right”.
‘I want to get help’
On May 16 this year, Whyte was staying in homeless accommodation with staff aware of his bail conditions relating to devices.
Officers were drafted in after a member of staff noticed Whyte in possession of a mobile phone.
Whyte, now staying at the Carmelite Hotel in Aberdeen, pled guilty to attempting to communicate indecently with a child between October 1 and October 20 2023.
Solicitor Lee Qumsieh said: “He knows this is a serious situation and he will have to comply fully with the reports being prepared.”
Sheriff George Way told Whyte: “You have a directly analogous conviction from 2016 where you were dealt with in the community.
“You have another sexual offences conviction in 2019 which was dealt with in a fairly lenient manner.
“If you want to stay out of prison, you have to make sure you have to comply with the bail order and the social work department. You have to talk.”
Whyte replied: “I want to get help.”
Sentence was deferred until August and Whyte was made subject to the sex offenders register.
Singing partner rumbled sick chats
In 2015, Whyte was caught by a fellow performer in inappropriate conversations with seven young girls, aged 13 to 15, and a 15-year-old boy.
He sent two of his victims pictures of naked male genitals, told a 14-year-old girl he would like to perform a sexual act on her and told another girl about a sexual dream.
Graham McLachlan, prosecuting, told Falkirk Sheriff Court in 2016 the other singer who performed with Whyte stumbled on the chats on Facebook.
He said: “They were both singers performing at venues and the friend had access to the accused’s Facebook to allow them to advertise engagements and suchlike.
“During the course of this the friend became aware of certain contact that the accused had with people under 16, and noticed some of this was a sexual nature.”
