WARREN COSTELLO PREDATOR CAUGHT IN TROON AND AYRSHIRE: ONLINE PERVERSION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY SHOCK

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Troon and the wider Ayrshire region, Warren Costello, aged 49, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of engaging in predatory online behavior aimed at underage girls. The court heard that Costello, who was employed at a food manufacturing company, had a disturbing collection of 75 indecent images of children stored on his mobile device.

His criminal activities came to light when he created a fake Facebook profile under the alias 'Emily,' pretending to be a schoolgirl to lure and send sexual messages to vulnerable teenagers. The deception was premeditated and manipulative, according to Ayr sheriff Carole Cunninghame, who described Costello’s actions as “premeditated, deceitful and manipulative.”

Costello’s online predation involved messaging four underage girls in 2016, with some of the girls becoming alarmed and distressed by the explicit nature of the communications. The sheriff’s court was told that the 49-year-old’s behavior was calculated to cause humiliation and fear among his young victims, and he was subsequently placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of ten years.

Details of the case reveal that Costello’s actions were not only online but also involved possession of highly disturbing images. The police investigation uncovered a significant stash of child abuse material on his Samsung phone, classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of child pornography. The authorities acted swiftly after being alerted to the online harassment, executing a search warrant at his residence in Donald Court, Troon.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Costello had posed as a girl named Emily Cairns, claiming to be a pupil at Kyle Academy in Ayr. His messages to the victims included inappropriate comments about their appearance and sexual inquiries, such as asking one girl if she was wearing pants and complimenting another’s breasts. One girl, aged 15, initially thought the friend request from ‘Emily’ was from a fellow cycling enthusiast, as she and Costello had previously exchanged messages about cycling. However, she became suspicious when the tone of the messages turned sexual, describing feeling “creeped out” and subsequently blocking the account.

Another 15-year-old girl received similar messages, with ‘Emily Cairns’ asking if she was wearing underwear and expressing an interest in looking at girls in changing rooms. The court heard that the girl was watching TV with her parents when she received the messages, which prompted her to go upstairs. The fake profile then continued to send sexually explicit messages, asking whether she was wearing pyjamas and inquiring about her underwear.

Police investigations confirmed that Costello had also been in contact with a fourth teenage girl through his fake profile, further demonstrating his pattern of predatory behavior. Following his arrest, he was taken into custody, and the police seized his phone, which contained the illicit images and evidence of his online activities.

Costello’s court appearance was marked by his attempt to flee the courthouse after being brought in for sentencing. He has since moved to Paisley, and his sentencing is scheduled for next month. The sheriff emphasized that granting him bail was not indicative of his actual sentence, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes.

In addition to his online offenses, Costello admitted to taking or allowing the taking of indecent images of children between January 2 and 15 of this year. His guilty plea covered both the online predation and the possession of child abuse material, highlighting the extent of his criminal conduct and the threat he posed to the community of Troon and beyond.