MICHAEL FINLAY FROM TAYPORT CAUGHT IN HORRIFIC ONLINE SEX OFFENSES INVOLVING US TEENAGER

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Tayport, Fife, Michael Finlay, a 28-year-old man, has been convicted and sentenced for serious sexual offenses involving both an undercover police operation and a minor from the United States. The case unfolded over a period of months, revealing a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned international borders and involved disturbing online interactions.

It all began in February 2019 when Finlay was targeted by undercover police officers who posed as a 13-year-old girl named 'Abi Myers' in an online chat. Finlay, believing he was communicating with a young girl, engaged in explicit conversations and sent graphic videos of himself performing sexual acts. During these exchanges, he issued threats, warning 'Abi Myers' that if she did not send nude images, he would have her gang-raped by twenty men. These threats were part of a series of coercive and vile messages that highlighted the severity of his predatory intent.

Following these interactions, law enforcement officials executed a raid on Finlay’s residence in Tayport, Fife. During the search, they charged him with a single sex offense, and he was subsequently released on bail. However, the investigation did not end there. In September of the same year, police returned to his home to conduct further inquiries and discovered troubling material on his mobile phone. This discovery led to the uncovering of a disturbing online relationship between Finlay and a real minor, a girl aged 13, who resides in Wisconsin, USA.

American authorities were promptly contacted and conducted interviews with the girl. She revealed that she considered Finlay her boyfriend and that they had exchanged explicit images and videos depicting sexual acts. The contents of Finlay’s phone confirmed this, containing highly sexualized conversations about acts he wished to perform on her. The evidence also showed that Finlay had posed as a 17-year-old male from Scotland, despite being 28 at the time.

According to the testimony of fiscal depute Stewart Duncan, Finlay’s messages included explicit questions about masturbation, which the girl refused to answer. Finlay then threatened to trace her location if she did not respond, warning her that many men would come to her and impregnate her if she continued to ignore his demands. He also sent a live video of himself engaged in a sexual act, further demonstrating his predatory behavior.

These revelations came after Finlay had already been charged with the initial offense involving the undercover police officer. Police investigations into his devices uncovered the vile conversations with the American girl, who later confirmed her interactions with Finlay during interviews. She stated that their relationship began around January, with Finlay revealing his age as 28, and that she had no issue with the age difference. She also admitted to sending partial and fully nude images and videos of herself performing sexual acts.

Finlay was taken into custody and appeared before the court at Perth. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including distributing indecent images of children, two offenses under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act, and breaching his bail conditions. The court, presided over by Sheriff Alastair Carmichael, sentenced him to 45 months in prison for the sex offenses, with an additional six months to be served consecutively for the breach of bail. Furthermore, Finlay was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.

Throughout the proceedings, defense solicitor Paul Ralph indicated that he would reserve his plea in mitigation for a future sentencing hearing. The sheriff deferred sentencing until the following month and remanded Finlay in custody in the meantime, emphasizing the seriousness of the crimes committed and the need for ongoing supervision of the offender.