ROBERT BURNS FROM FIFE AND METHILL JAILED AFTER ONLINE CHILD GROOMING PLOT IN KIRKCALDY

In June 2019, Robert Burns, a 50-year-old resident of Methil, was released from custody and subsequently moved to Kirkcaldy. His criminal activities, however, did not cease, leading to a significant legal outcome that underscored the ongoing efforts to combat online child exploitation.

Burns had a troubling history of engaging in online child grooming offences. The court proceedings revealed that he had pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to his attempts to sexually exploit a minor through digital communication. These charges included engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a minor following a period of sexual grooming online.

The investigation uncovered that Burns had contacted an online profile he believed belonged to a 14-year-old boy. During their digital interactions, Burns sent highly sexualized messages and explicit images, clearly indicating his intent to groom the minor for sexual activity. His plans included arranging a physical meeting with the supposed child, with the intention of taking him back to his residence for sexual purposes.

However, the individual Burns believed to be a 14-year-old boy was actually an adult member of the paedophile hunting team known as ‘Child Protectors Scotland’. This team specializes in posing online as children to catch predators attempting to exploit minors. They had set up the profile and were monitoring Burns’s activity.

When Burns arrived at the designated meeting point in Kirkcaldy, the team was already present, waiting for him to arrive. Once Burns was identified, the team confronted him and questioned him about his online activities. During this confrontation, a team member contacted the police, leading to Burns’s immediate arrest at the scene.

Following his arrest, Burns was taken into custody and brought before the court. The sheriff sentenced him to nine months in prison. Additionally, Burns was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years, a measure intended to monitor and restrict his activities post-release. This case highlights the persistent efforts of law enforcement and community groups to protect children from online predators and bring offenders to justice.