COWDENBEATH CREEP WHO TOLD "GORGEOUS" 12 YEAR OLD "I WISH I HAD SOMEONE TO KISS" NOT PROVEN!
A verdict of not proven has been reached in a case involving a Fife man accused of using a false identity on social media to communicate sexually with a 12-year-old girl.Stephen Irvine, aged 25, from James Court in Cowdenbeath, denied that on July 22 of the previous year, he intentionally sent explicit messages via social media to a girl under 13 and engaged in inappropriate sexual communication.
The trial was conducted without witnesses; the evidence consisted of a joint statement from the Crown and defence, along with closing arguments.
Prosecutor Gary McMullan explained that the messages were sent from Irvine’s account but under the alias ‘Edward Smith.’ He highlighted that Irvine was aware of the girl’s age early in their exchange, having asked her how old she was, to which she responded with her actual age.
Irvine then falsely claimed he was 17.
Mr McMullan noted that Irvine included kisses represented by ‘x,’ called the girl “honey,” and described her as “gorgeous.” Additionally, Irvine inquired if she was single and expressed a desire for someone to kiss and cuddle.
He emphasized that Irvine knew she was only 12, characterizing the interaction as indicative of grooming, given the false identity, the age misinformation, and the sexual undertones of the messages.
The defendant’s solicitor, Russel McPhate, accepted that Irvine sent the messages but argued that they should not be considered sexual from a reasonable perspective.
He dismissed the notion of grooming as an exaggerated term unsuitable in this context.
Mr McPhate pointed out that using kisses in social media chats is common and stated that the messages did not serve as a prelude to more serious actions, though he acknowledged that such exchanges are inappropriate for children.
Sheriff Craig McSherry returned a verdict of not proven but issued a warning to Irvine, cautioning him against engaging in similar communications in the future.
