Sex offender in jail but message for ‘vigilantes’

COURT: ‘Misguided’ actions had impact on harm treatment

Vigilantes who targeted a Dundee sex offender interrupted work to reduce the risk he presents, a sheriff said.

The comments came as he jailed Ross Ottaway for 15 months after he was caught by the Creep Catchers group sending messages to a girl he thought was 13.

Ottaway, said by defence solicitor Anika Jethwa to have a learning disability, was hounded out of his home in Dundee and forced to stop a treatment programme involving social workers and psychologists imposed for an earlier offence because of threats.

He was jailed yesterday after a sheriff ruled that was the only way that Ottaway, who was at the time on a community payback order imposed for showing sexual images to three children, could be dealt with.

Ottaway appeared for sentencing at Dundee after he contacted a fake Facebook profile almost immediately after it was created by the paedophile hunter group.

Ottaway, 37, of Arbroath, pled guilty on indictment to sending sexual written communications to someone he believed to be a child aged under 16.

The offence took place between July 8 and July 30 last year in Dundee.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Ottaway for 15 months and put him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

He said: “After his first court appearance there was vigilante interest in his whereabouts and he had to be rehoused away from where he had been living. Only once he was rehoused could meaningful treatment resume. The conduct of these misguided people caused that.”