ARDROSSAN SEX OFFENDER FINED FOR BREACHING COURT ORDER BY CREATING GAMING PROFILE
A sex offender from Ardrossan has been caught breaching a court order - by creating and using an online gaming profile.The Herald previously reported that Brian McGougan was convicted after sending sexual communications to a 'decoy' he believed was an under-age girl.
The 43-year-old was registered as a sex offender in May after pleading guilty to the offence.
Less than a month later, McGougan appeared again in court to admit failure to comply with the court's orders.
Kilmarnock Sheriff Court was told that McGougan had created and used an online gaming profile without informing police, as required.
He was subject to various 'sex offender notification requirements' which mandated him to report any changes in circumstances within three days.
An order restricting his internet access, to be monitored by police, had also been imposed.
Previously, he admitted sending sexual messages to someone he thought was a girl under 16 between October 25, 2020, and August 26, 2021, unaware that he was communicating with an adult decoy.
The court heard he pleaded guilty to sending lewd, indecent, and sexual messages to a child aged 13 to 16 from his home address, for sexual gratification or to cause humiliation or distress.
Sheriff Watson imposed a 30-month community payback order with supervision, citing McGougan's 'significant trouble', and noted that a prison sentence could be justified but a community program might reduce chances of reoffending.
Prosecutors accepted guilty pleas to four other charges.
At his latest court appearance on June 2, McGougan admitted that between May 8 and June 1, he did not notify police of his online gaming profile, breaching court orders, and was fined £420.
