Elgin man sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court after sexual messages to ‘14-year-old girl’

An Elgin man who sent sexual photos to an undercover police officer who was posed as a 14-year-old girl has avoided jail.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Edward Russell demanded indecent photos and videos of the “girl” and other users he met in the teenager’s chat room.

The court also heard that the 27-year-old, of Meadow Crescent, used WhatsApp to communicate indecently between September 13, 2023 and September 21, 2023.

Fiscal depute Emily Hood told Sheriff Sara Matheson that this enabled police to trace his mobile number and he was arrested.

The court heard that Russell's phone was also seized and two indecent images were found - one of a 14-year-old girl posing erotically and another of an adult female having sexual intercourse with a boy aged between three and five.

He had also sent photographs of himself, male genitalia and images of masturbation.

Russell admitted to sending indecent communications and possessing indecent images.

Defence solicitor Grant Daglish urged Sheriff Matheson not to send Russell to jail, saying that he had a lack of criminal record and that he had “lost everything” including employment and his position with a local football club due to this offending.

As a direct alternative to custody Sheriff Matheson imposed a community payback order which will include him being electronically tagged and on an overnight home curfew for six months.

He will also take part in the Moving Forward to Change programme and be under supervision and on the Sex Offenders register for three years.