LABOUR COUNCILLOR DAVID FAGAN CAUGHT IN AIRDIRE CHILD SEX PLOT

In March 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving David Fagan, a 53-year-old former Labour councillor from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, who became entangled in a serious criminal investigation related to online child exploitation. Fagan’s actions came to light after he engaged in an undercover police operation that revealed his disturbing intentions and fantasies.

Fagan was found to have used depraved websites to explore and investigate highly taboo subjects, including explicit content involving incest and sexual acts with children. His online activity was characterized by a series of conversations with an undercover policewoman, who posed as a 40-year-old mother of three from London. During these exchanges, Fagan expressed warped and disturbing fantasies about incestuous relationships and sexual acts involving children.

The police identified Fagan as a high-risk individual based on his online behavior and subsequently arrested him. The conversations, which took place between May and August 2016, were deemed serious enough to warrant a trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court. Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Fagan had agreed to pay money with the intent to meet the woman and carry out a sexual assault on one of her children in her presence.

During the court proceedings, Fagan maintained that he never intended to follow through with the act of rape. Instead, he claimed that his fantasies were purely imaginative and did not reflect a real plan to commit such a crime. Despite his assertions, the jury found him guilty of multiple charges, including sending messages related to incest, the sexual abuse of children, and the attempted rape of a child. The conviction was unanimous.

However, the jury did not find sufficient evidence to prove that Fagan conspired to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex while another girl, aged 12, was present during the alleged conspiracy. As a result, that particular charge was not proven.

Following his conviction, Fagan was sentenced to perform 120 hours of unpaid community service and was placed under supervision for a period of three years. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for three years and was prohibited from accessing the internet for one year to prevent further online misconduct. This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable individuals from predatory behavior.