WILLIAM GAULD FROM ABERDEEN JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN STING OPERATION

An incident that has sent shockwaves through the community of Aberdeen involves William Gauld, a 42-year-old man who was caught attempting to meet a young girl for sexual activity. The confrontation took place at a bus stop in Aberdeen, where Gauld believed he was about to meet a 12-year-old girl named Demi. However, this meeting was part of a carefully orchestrated sting operation carried out by paedophile hunters, who had set up decoy profiles to catch individuals attempting to engage in illegal activities with minors.

Gauld was on his way to meet what he thought was Demi, but in reality, he was walking into a trap. Prior to the planned meeting, Gauld had engaged in a series of disturbing and explicit messages with the decoy profiles. According to the court proceedings, members of the anti-abuse group Against Sexual Abuse Scotland created two fake profiles of young girls to lure potential offenders. One of these profiles, under the name ‘Isabel,’ received a message from Gauld on the Meetme dating app in January 2021. The decoy quickly revealed that she was 13 years old, prompting Gauld to ask if she was comfortable speaking with a 38-year-old man. The conversation then moved to WhatsApp, where Gauld sent a picture of himself along with images of his dogs.

As the dialogue progressed, it took a disturbing turn. Gauld began asking inappropriate questions, including whether the girl had ever engaged in sexual acts on herself. He then encouraged her to do so, and later sent a graphic message indicating his desire to have sex with her. Meanwhile, Gauld was also communicating with another decoy, a girl named ‘Demi,’ who claimed to be nearly 13 years old. Their conversations became increasingly sexual, with Gauld discussing her potential as his girlfriend, asking about her clothing, and making suggestive comments about her legs. He also expressed a desire to be her teacher, claiming he wanted to “show her things,” and suggested sharing intimate photographs.

In late spring or early summer of 2023, Gauld sent Demi a lengthy story describing various sexual activities involving himself and the girl. He then encouraged her to look up these activities and watch related videos. Around this time, Gauld asked Demi to visit his house and requested a photograph of her. She sent a picture of a girl who appeared to be under 16, and Gauld responded by saying he “would like to be with her and do things with her.” He further suggested that she should skip school, watch a movie with him, and cuddle. He even told her to bring a change of clothes in case things got “dirty” during her visit.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the decoy operator shared Gauld’s details with the Child Protection Team UK. A sting operation was scheduled for June 6, 2023, the day Gauld had arranged for Demi to come to his residence. The team traveled to Aberdeen to carry out the operation. Gauld provided the decoy with his address, instructed her on which bus to take, and arranged to meet her on the main road near his home. When Gauld arrived at the designated meeting point, members of the Child Protection Team recognized him from the images he had sent and confronted him directly. The police were then contacted, and Gauld was arrested at the scene. His mobile phone was seized and examined, providing further evidence of his involvement in these offenses.

During the court proceedings, Gauld pleaded guilty to two charges of communicating with a child and a third charge of using coercion to encourage minors to travel for unlawful sexual activities. The court heard that his actions went beyond mere online communication, as he had actively arranged to meet one of the girls for sex. Sheriff Philip Mann emphasized the gravity of Gauld’s conduct, stating that communicating indecently with children is a “very serious offence.” He pointed out that it did not matter whether the decoys were adults pretending to be children; Gauld had explicitly agreed to meet one of the girls for sexual purposes.

In sentencing, Sheriff Mann sentenced Gauld to 16 months in prison. Additionally, he ordered Gauld to be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years. Gauld, who resides on Cummings Park Road in Aberdeen, was also warned about the long-term consequences of his actions and the importance of safeguarding children from exploitation and abuse.