RONALD FYFE CAIRNEYHILL SENTENCED FOR ONLINE SEXUAL MESSAGES IN DUNFERMLINE

A 75-year-old man from Cairneyhill, Ronald Fyfe, has been formally sentenced after being convicted of engaging in inappropriate and sexual online communications with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. The incident took place over a period spanning from September 1 to October 14, 2020, and the case was heard at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Fyfe, who resides at Greycraigs in Cairneyhill, was caught in a sting operation designed to apprehend individuals attempting to engage in illegal activities with minors. The person he believed to be a young girl was actually an adult woman acting as a decoy, part of an undercover effort to prevent child exploitation. Despite this, Fyfe proceeded to send explicit messages, expressing his desire to meet the girl in Edinburgh and suggesting he would take her back to his home.

During the trial, it was revealed that Fyfe had believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl named ‘Isla’. In reality, the recipient was a 37-year-old woman who was part of the decoy operation. The messages contained sexually explicit content, with Fyfe explicitly stating his intentions to carry out sexual acts on the girl. He also urged her to keep their conversations secret and proposed they meet on Princes Street in Edinburgh, where he suggested they could have something to eat before returning to his residence.

Fyfe later admitted to police that he derived sexual gratification from the chats, stating, “It did turn me on slightly, talking like that.” During court proceedings, he claimed that he was aware he was being set up by the decoy and that he had been intentionally stringing them along. Fyfe explained that he continued the conversation “to give then a bit of a run around” and that it was simply a way to pass the time, saying, “It was giving me something to do, keeping me busy.”

However, Sheriff Macdonald dismissed Fyfe’s account as “a pack of lies,” emphasizing that his actions were serious and deliberate. Fyfe’s defense solicitor, Alan Davie, highlighted that his client had already suffered significant personal consequences, including not seeing his son or grandchildren since the allegations surfaced. Davie also noted that Fyfe’s marriage was strained and that he had lost contact with his younger brother. He emphasized that Fyfe had no prior criminal record.

Ultimately, the court sentenced Fyfe to a community payback order, which includes 18 months of supervision and 120 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, Fyfe has been placed on the sex offenders register for a period of 18 months. The sheriff issued a stern warning, stating, “It is fortunate for you that, unknown to you, this was a ruse. If it was a conversation with a real 13-year-old girl, prison would have been inevitable.” The case underscores the importance of vigilance and the ongoing efforts to combat online child exploitation.