An oil worker was caught messaging what he thought was a 14-year-old girl while working on a North Sea platform.
Vincent Gallagher appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted repeatedly messaging the teenage decoy as he worked on the Paul B Loyd Junior oil platform.
The 49-year-old – who also tried to organise a night away with the ‘girl’ in a hotel for sex – only discovered he was communicating with a paedophile hunter group when police arrived at his home and arrested him.
Gallacher, from County Durham, made numerous sexual comments to the 14-year-old decoy, which was operated by the group Silent Angels.
The ROV technician winced as his messages, sent using the encrypted app Telegram, were read out in court.
Most of what Gallagher sent is too graphic to be reported.
However, it was stated that Gallagher – who claimed he did it because he was “bored” – sent a number of sexual images of his private parts to the decoy.
Gallagher wasn’t bothered when he found out girl was 14
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that a member of the paedophile hunter group Silent Angels had created a number of profiles of teenage girls on social media platforms and waited until they were engaged in conversation.
On September 6 last year, one of the decoy accounts was messaged by someone using the name ‘Vinny, 40’ stating he was from Newcastle and asked the decoy’s age.
She stated that she was 14, adding: “Don’t grass on me for being on ere.”
Gallagher replied: “Ahh okay, nah, course I won’t.”
He then stated that he used the encrypted chat app Telegram, telling the girl: “I would get in trouble with you being 14.
“If you had Telegram we could chat as we don’t need the share numbers.”
Moving to Telegram, the pair continued to chat, with Gallagher sending her pictures of him sitting at an ROV workstation.
However, the messages Gallagher was sending soon turned sexual, with him telling her she was “hot for 14” and that when she told him her age he “should be bothered but I’m not”.
Gallagher then asked: “Would you come to bed with me?”
The messages that follow are too graphic to report.
Accused wanted to meet at hotel
Ms Petersen told the court that Gallagher then suggested meeting the girl in a hotel for sexual intercourse.
He then forwarded pictures of his private parts along with more sexualised messages.
“Throughout the conversations with the accused he advised that he was working on a drilling rig in the North Sea,” Ms Petersen said.
She continued: “On 15 September 2023, the woman running the decoy account contacted Durham Constabulary to report the accused.
“She then provided screenshots of the full conversation to police.”
Police contacted Gallagher’s employer, who informed them he was still offshore.
The court was told Gallagher continued to message the decoy until he returned to shore, at which point he was arrested by police.
Upon being arrested and interviewed by police, Gallagher admitted the offences in full and told them he knew the girl was 14 and that he had done it out of “boredom”.
As he was charged, Gallagher stated: “I don’t think I should have done it – it’s wrong.
“I know it was wrong and I should not have done it. Due to boredom I carried on texting and I shouldn’t have.
“I’m sorry, I should not have done it. Instead of messaging, I should have messaged my partner.”
In the dock, Gallagher admitted one charge of communicating indecently with what he believed to be a child between September 6 and September 25 last year.
‘Very serious offence’
Defence solicitor David Sutherland told the court that his client had “expressed shock and disgust” at his actions and is “unable to fully explain the motivation”.
“My client has an exemplary work record and has been deemed to be at a low risk of reoffending,” the solicitor said.
“The report into his background recommends that he receive a community disposal with supervision.”
Sheriff Philip Mann described Gallagher’s actions as a “very serious offence, which I’m quite satisfied meets the custodial threshold”.
“Were you not a first offender who has never been to prison before, I would have been seriously considering a custodial sentence,” he said.
“However, I believe there is an alternative here.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Mann made Gallagher, of Greenland Mews, Pelton Fell, subject to a community payback order with supervision and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Gallagher was also ordered to take part in a sex offenders rehabilitation programme.
Sheriff Mann also placed Gallagher on the sex offenders register for two years.
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