Gamer avoids prisonfor sharing videoclip

A gamer who shared an indecent video of a 15-yearold girl has avoided a prison sentence.

Stuart Quinn had hooked up with the girl while playing Call of Duty on his Xbox.

He sent the clip to the youngster’s cousin, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard last week.

Quinn, 27, of Broompark Road, Craigneuk, was handed a two-year social work supervision order by Sheriff Linda Nicolson.

He admitted possessing and distributing an indecent image of a child.

Quinn was also accused of attempted extortion by threatening to disclose the video to other family members and friends unless the girl sent him further material.

However, his not guilty pleas to that charge and another alleging that he sent the girl an indecent image were accepted.

The court heard the girl, who lives in England, had filmed herself in an intimate situation and Quinn had somehow acquired the video in April, 2017.

He contacted the girl’s cousin, said she had been “doing stuff ” and sent the cousin the video.

The girl’s mother then became involved in an angry exchange with Quinn before the police were called in.

Defence agent Vincent McGovern said Quinn had been spending most of his time playing Call of Duty on Xbox.

He made contact with the teenage girl through the game, but “their conversations developed into other issues”.

Mr McGovern stated: “The accused’s acquisition of this video was unsolicited.

“Who it came from is not clear, but it must have been through an Xbox source.

“Had he got rid of it in a reasonable time, he might have had a defence to these charges, but he didn’t.

“There was nothing sinister about his actions, but his judgment was questionable.

“It was stupid and irresponsible behaviour.”

Mr McGovern added that Quinn has been in no trouble since this incident and there are “no underlying issues”.

After studying background reports, Sheriff Nicolson said she was prepared to impose an alternative to a prison sentence.

Quinn was also ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid community work.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for two years.