Shop worker’s shame

A Perth man who repeatedly sent a series of shocking, sexually explicit messages to a 14-yearold boy has had his name added to the sex offenders’ register.

Twenty-two-year-old Ryan Strathie hung his head in shame as details of the vile communications, forwarded during a month-long series of social media messages, were read out at Perth Sheriff Court.

The accused told a female friend that he had been thrown out of the house because he had “fallen for someone he shouldn’t have.”

In some of the less explicit comments we are able to print, Strathie told the underage youngster: “Anyone ever told you how f ****** hot you are” and “You have no idea how much I wanna just hold you, let alone give you a kiss.”

And he added: “I keep forgetting you’re 15 - Oh s*** - you’re only 14.”

In a further message, the shop assistant said: “I would break the law to kiss you.”

Strathie, whose address was given as the Greyfriars Hostel, Princes Street, Perth, will be sentenced on February 26 after a background report has been prepared.

He had been due to face trial on January 21 after previously denying the offence.

But he admitted that between July 6 and August 8, at a house in Perth, he intentionally, and for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming the teen, repeatedly sent the sexual communications to him.

Depute fiscal Matthew

Kerr said that on August 7 last year, Strathie had disclosed to a family member that he was “communicating with a young boy.

“When asked further, he disclosed that the boy was 14 or 15 years old. He was told that what he was doing was wrong.”

The accused later received a text stating he was “no longer welcome” in the house - and that he should leave. Strathie later spent the night at a female friend’s office, added the fiscal.

“The friend asked what was going on and he told her he had fallen for a boy of 14.”

When interviewed by police, Strathie admitted he had communicated with the young boy on Facebook Messenger.

He added: “I developed feelings for someone I shouldn’t have.”

Solicitor Paul Ralph asked that a criminal justice social work report he prepared in advance of sentence.

Sheriff Pino Di Emidio continued the accused’s bail meantime.

The stringent conditions include a ban on him owning or possessing a mobile phone or computer, capable of accessing the internet, without giving police his personal details and the serial numbers of any devices.

He is also prohibited from installing any software capable of deleting their search history.

A further condition was put in place regarding his contact with children.