Man branded a sexual predator is spared prison

A man branded a sexual predator for sending indecent messages to girls as young as 10 escaped a jail sentence yesterday.

A background report on David Macleod, 21, stated that he had embarked on a premeditated strategy to gain access to the social networking pages of his victims without a thought for the potential harm he could have inflicted.

Sheriff AndrewBerry sitting at Wick agreed with the repor t and told Macleod he would have been entitled to impose a custodial sentence.

Graphic material, including male genitals, were part of a series of four images or written messages he sent from his computer between December 2012 and July 2013. Macleod admitted sending the material.

The court was told that theshockingmaterialcame to light after parents of the girls discovered the messages.

David Barclay, prosecuting, told the court that in one case, a parent was c h e c k i n g w h a t he r daughter was receiving online.

The senior fiscal depute

“He got access to underage girls on predatory, abusive basis”

said that the girlshadmade it clear in their internet responses what their ages were and were aware that Macleod was “an older per- son”. Macleod, of 14 Portormin Road, Dunbeath, told police he had sent the messages at random, because he was bored.

Defence solicitor Ken Ferguson said that the accused had experienced a difficult childhood and was “clearly someone who has serious issues”.

He appealed for a noncustodial sentence.

He said that, while prison was an option, first offender Macleod was someone with lots of time on his hands and would benefitfromapplying it to a supervised programme of help in the community.

Sheriff Berry said that young children and their parents had to be protected from such inappropriate behaviour.

While prison was an option, there would be no follow-up supervision after Macleod was released and no confidence that he would not reoffend.

A background report highlighted a concern that the accused had clearly thought out a strategy to gain access to underage girls, “on a predatory, abusive and secretive basis to their detriment and had not stopped to think about the potential harm he could have caused them”.

Sheriff Berry said: “I could not have put it better myself.”

Macleod was ordered to carry out 225 hours community work within three years.

Hewasalsobannedfrom having contact with any female under the age of 16, and from unsupervised access to the internet and was placed on the sex offenders register.