EDINBURGH MAN ROBERT AGNEW FROM RATHO SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL MESSAGES TO 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Edinburgh and the nearby Ratho area, Robert Agnew, a 37-year-old resident, has been involved in a serious criminal matter involving online sexual communication with a minor. Despite admitting guilt, Agnew was released from custody, raising concerns about the justice process and the measures taken to protect vulnerable individuals.

Agnew’s troubling actions came to light after he engaged in a series of inappropriate and sexualized messages with a social media account he believed belonged to a 14-year-old girl named Stacey Sugden from Manchester. In reality, the account was operated by a member of the Fleetwood Enforcers UK, a paedophile hunter group dedicated to exposing individuals involved in child exploitation. The group had set up an online sting, which was live streamed on their Facebook page, capturing Agnew’s conduct in real-time.

Following the live stream, authorities were alerted, and police officers attended Agnew’s residence in Ratho, a suburb of Edinburgh. The confrontation was recorded during the evening of April 5, when members of the hunter group arrived at his home around 11 pm. The police were subsequently called to handle the situation, leading to Agnew’s arrest and subsequent charges.

Agnew appeared before Edinburgh’s sheriff court in March this year, where he was remanded in custody. He later returned to court for sentencing on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to a charge of indecent communication during a hearing last month. Prosecutor Cheryl Porter outlined the details of the case, revealing that Agnew had contacted a Facebook account under the false identity of a 14-year-old girl from Manchester. The account was operated by a member of the Fleetwood Enforcers UK group.

According to Ms. Porter, Agnew told the girl he worked for FedEx as a warehouse employee and began complimenting her, calling her “very pretty.” He then requested to move the conversation to WhatsApp, where the inappropriate exchanges continued over the next five days. During this period, Agnew sent messages asking to meet up and made explicit comments about her genitalia. The court was informed that he also inquired about her underwear and sent images of his erect penis, asking “Do you like the photos.”

Further depraved messages included invitations such as “come and join me in my bed” and explicit statements like “I keep dreaming about your p***y and boobs.” The group’s members documented the confrontation, which was filmed at Agnew’s home in Ratho, Edinburgh, during the late evening hours. The police were called after the incident, leading to his arrest.

During the court hearing, solicitor Gillian Simpson, representing Agnew, stated that her client had not applied for bail following his arrest. She emphasized that although Agnew admitted to sending the messages, he had no genuine intention of meeting the girl, asserting that the contact was purely fantasy. Sheriff Charles Walls acknowledged the seriousness of the case, describing the conduct as “a very serious matter,” but noted that it was a non-contact offense since no meeting was ultimately planned.

Sheriff Walls also pointed out that the contact was “wholly inappropriate,” but suggested that Agnew’s actions were not driven by a real intent to meet a minor. As part of his sentence, Agnew was released from custody under the supervision of social services for three years, instead of serving time in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to complete 260 hours of unpaid community service and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for the next three years.

In summary, Robert Agnew’s case highlights the ongoing issues surrounding online child exploitation and the efforts of paedophile hunter groups to combat such crimes. His guilty plea to sending sexual communications to a minor, albeit an adult posing as a child, underscores the importance of vigilance and law enforcement in protecting vulnerable individuals from predatory behavior.