Sweet shop perv asked for photos

APERVERT sweet shop employee asked for indecent images of a 13-yearold schoolgirl in return for cigarettes.

Paul Colgan communicated indecently with the victim between April and October last year in Cambuslang.

The 54-year-old sent kissing emojis, requested naked pictures and told the girl he “fancied” her.

Colgan also messaged an indecent picture of himself where he was only identifiable by his Dino’s Sweets and Treats uniform in the background.

The girl initially refused to send a picture of herself in exchange for cigarettes and was told it would be “our wee secret”.

The court heard the girl would regularly attend the shop. She went in spring to buy goods and Colgan asked for her phone number which she handed over.

Colgan texted the girl 10 minutes later and followed the message up with a number of kissing emojis.

He also commented on the shorts she was wearing and asked her for a picture of them with her in them.

The girl found this “weird” and blocked Colgan.

She later attended the shop with her boyfriend while Colgan was working. He told them: “I bet you do loads of sexual stuff with him, why don’t you do it with me?”

Last summer, the girl asked Colgan to buy her cigarettes. He agreed to purchase them but stated he “needed something in return”.

The girl meantime received a picture of Colgan’s penis without his face on it.

On a later occasion, the girl asked for a final time for Colgan to buy her cigarettes.

She stated she did not have money but agreed to send a picture of herself. The girl’s mum then became “concerned” about their contact and found messages on her WhatsApp.

Police were contacted and traced Colgan where he was arrested and his mobile phone seized.

Colgan pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to sending sexual written communication to the girl intentionally for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming her.

He also admitted to intentionally causing her to view a sexual image and possession of indecent photographs of children.

Sheriff Gerald Considine tagged Colgan, also of Cambuslang, at sentencing for four months keeping him indoors between 8pm and 8am.

He was also put under supervision for two years and placed on the sex offenders register for five years.