AIDEN LOVE

Caithness man pressured girl (12) into sending intimate pictures A man who made sexual overtures to a 12-year-old girl has avoided a jail sentence.

Aiden Love was instead instructed to carry out 225 hours of unpaid community work while under supervision Love (34) admitted at a previous hearing at Wick Sheriff Court to contacting the youngster, through his username on Instagram, and sending her sexual images and a video and coercing her to reciprocate with photos of herself.

It was previously detailed how the girl’s mother contacted police with concerns about the online relationship and the girl told officers that Love, of George Street, Halkirk, had told he he was 14, that his name was Andrew and that he belonged to Inverness.

Fiscal Depute Grant McLennan said the pair had been exchanging messages during March and April last year and that things ahd been “normal” to begin with.

"However, the accused began to ask her for pictures of herself of an explicit nature, despite her telling him she was 12 or 13 years old," he said.

Love repeatedly asked the girl to send him photos of herself and she sent him various images of her face to begin with but, when pressured, messaged him other pictures of her body "In response, Love would reply that these were 'hot' or 'sexy'" Mr McLennan said.

The girl's mother contacted police when she discovered her daughter had been using her mobile phone, on April 16, to communicate with "an unknown man".

Officers obtained sufficient intelligence from the girl's phone to visit Love at his home with a search warrant.

Love co-operated and gave them access to his phone, which Sheriff Neil Wilson ordered to be forfeit.

The accused made no reply when cautioned and charged.

Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said this week that Love appreciated how his behaviour would be viewed in his community.

A background report had recommended supervision with unpaid work and Love intended pursuing further education south the court was told.

Sheriff Neil Wilson said that he would have been "fully justified" in jailing Love and said there had to be consequences for his actions, adding: "You reap what you sow." The sheriff warned him: "You should be clear that the unpaid work is a direct alternative to prison and if you don't comply with social workers, or offend again, a prison sentence would be inevitable.”