TWEEDBANK TEXTER PLACED ON SEX OFFENDER’S REGISTER
A 25-YEAR-OLD man who sent a friend late night text messages saying he was aroused by a naked two-year-old girl and wanted to touch her has been placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.The “vulnerable” adult who received the messages was so concerned about the content of the messages he showed them to his support worker the following morning and police were called.
Lee McDowall appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to sending offensive or obscene text messages from his home in Jura Drive, Tweedbank, last Friday night and Saturday morning.
Defence lawyer Iain Burke said McDowall’s comments had been entirely fictional and he knew no-one of the girl’s name that he had mentioned in the texts.
He added that he had no intention of touching a two-year-old girl, realising it was wrong and that he would be sent to prison.
Mr Burke concluded: “He was under the influence of alcohol at the time and the text conversation became more sexually orientated in nature.
But it was a complete and utter fiction.
He went too far.” Depute fiscal Tessa Bradley said due to a previous offence after befriending someone on the internet, McDowall was banned from having contact with children under 17 unless approved by a support worker.
He was also banned from having access to the internet without approval.
She added: “He has been diagnosed as having a low IQ and a mild learning disablity.
The recipient of the message was a vulnerable adult he met while working in a voluntary gardening group at a school for people with learning difficulties.
“On Friday night they were having a text conversation and, during the course of this, there were a number of messages about the accused being in the company of a two-year-old girl and being aroused by her.
“It was only later that it emerged the child was not real.” McDowall admitted sending the offensive messages saying that he was aroused at the sight of a naked two-year-old child and wanted to carry out a sex act on himself and also touch her.
Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until February 24 for background reports and ordered McDowall’s name be placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.
