INVERNESS PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR GROOMING YOUNG BOY AND OFFERING MONEY FOR SEX
A paedophile who was previously banned from approaching young boys has been convicted and sentenced after attempting to groom a 13-year-old boy and offering him hundreds of pounds for explicit pictures and a sex act.The incident occurred in Inverness, where the offender, Iain Wright, met the boy on an Inverness street, near Greig Street Bridge.
According to court reports, Wright, aged 29, who was in homeless accommodation at the time, engaged in a conversation with the boy, claiming he was homeless and exchanging telephone numbers.
Later, Wright sent texts offering the boy money—initially £100, then increasing to £200, then offering £250 for a nude picture, and finally proposing £400 for a picture of his genitals.The court was told that Wright attempted to groom the boy and tried to pay him for a sex act, despite being under a court order that banned him from approaching young boys.
Support workers, suspicious of Wright's intentions, secretly followed the boy and alerted police when Wright was traced to the bus station, where he was planning to meet the boy again.
The police found that Wright had sent indecent communications and had downloaded and possessed indecent images of boys aged from 1 to 12 on his mobile phone.Wright, who appeared via video link, pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced by Sheriff Sara Matheson to 24 months in prison, with the sentence backdated to February 12, the day of his remand.
The sheriff also imposed a 10-year sex offender registration requirement.
Wright's solicitor claimed he suffered from anxiety and had a panic attack during his interview, leading to his denial of the allegations.
During the sentencing, Wright became visibly upset and stormed out of the recording room.The court's judgment highlights Wright's high risk level for reoffending and emphasizes the serious nature of his actions, which included breaching court orders and attempting to groom a minor for sexual exploitation.
