An Inverness pensioner who was caught in a sting operation by members of three different paedophile hunter groups has been ordered to take part in a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders.
Raymond Paterson thought he was communicating with teenagers aged from 13 to 15.
The 70-year-old complimented their underwear, gave instructions on how to pleasure themselves and sent messages saying what he wanted to do with them.
But all of the profiles were being operated by adult volunteers at online child protection organisations.
They subsequently organised a sting operation and handed their files to police.
Fiscal depute Susan Love told the court that, between March and June 2023 Paterson sent messages to various decoy profiles.
Paedophile hunters paid OAP a visit
The court heard that the messages – examples of which were provided for the sheriff but not read in court – included Paterson asking the decoys “if they shaved”.
He also complimented their underwear, gave “instructions on how to pleasure themselves” and sent messages saying what he wanted to do with them.
The volunteers collated the messages and then visited Paterson’s Inverness home.
He was confronted by the volunteers on June 11 last year, before police were called.
Paterson was cautioned and arrested and his phone seized, with the conversations recorded by the decoy operators later being recovered.
Sheriff decides not to jail OAP
The OAP was taken to Burnett Road police station in Inverness, where he admitted messaging the decoys but stated that he “never intended to physically meet them”.
Solicitor advocate Shahid Latif, told the court that the charges related to a “20-day period of 2023” where a “malaise had overtaken” his client.
He told the sheriff that the accused was a first offender.
A background report had been prepared and Sheriff Robert Frazer decided to follow the recommendation of the social worker and not jail Paterson.
Paterson was also placed under social work supervision and on the sex offender’s register for three years and instructed to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work.
Restrictions on his use of internet-enabled devices were also imposed.