FIFE SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT VIOLATING COURT ORDER THROUGH SNAPCHAT COMMUNICATION

A sex offender from Fife named Christopher Watson has violated a court order by downloading Snapchat, which deletes its data after use, and communicating with underage females online. Watson, aged 31, was previously sentenced to 40 months in jail for sexually assaulting a child and was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in March 2021 at Chelmsford Crown Court. This order prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 and from acquiring or using software designed to erase internet activity. Recently, Watson admitted to breaching these conditions by downloading Snapchat and engaging in conversations with two girls he believed to be under 16. The offending occurred at his home in Sea Road, Methil, and spanned from December 28 last year until February 18. Court proceedings revealed that police found Snapchat messages when they searched Watson’s home following an intelligence tip-off. Among the messages, a girl around 13 or 14 years old sent Watson multiple selfies, and Watson responded with an elaborate message praising her appearance and expressing a desire to treat her like a princess. He also sent a message of a sexual nature and expressed wanting her to be his girlfriend. In a separate conversation, Watson acknowledged a girl claiming to be 15 from Serbia, recognized her as a child, and pretended to be in his early 20s. Watson has been in custody since February 19 this year. The court heard from Sheriff James Williamson, who highlighted Watson's previous breach and noted that he had now communicated with young females under 16. The judge deferred sentencing for background checks and scheduled it for August 7.