A Bellshill man has been placed on the sex offenders' register after being caught in a police online paedophile sting.
Undercover officer posed as 13-year-old
Richard Bradley, 28, of Victoria Place, admitted communicating indecently with a person he believed to be a child between November 4 and 21, 2024. Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that 'Becki' was actually an undercover police officer posing as a child.
Aga Mathieson, prosecuting, said the officer set up a profile of a girl aged 13 on a social media site and soon received a message from Bradley. The conversation moved to Snapchat, where Bradley's friend request was accepted.
Ms Mathieson told the court: "He said he was from Glasgow, was 15 years old and had a day off school. The girl made it clear she was 13."
Sexual chat and arrest
The conversation was general in nature to begin with, but turned sexual when Bradley asked: "Can I see you not wearing any clothes? It's cool and fun." He sent the officer a suggestive photo but received nothing in return.
The online chat ended on November 21, 2024, and police enquiries led to a search warrant being issued for Bradley's home. When officers arrived, they seized his phone, and he admitted sexual communications with someone he believed to be a young girl.
Sentence
Bradley, who appeared in court with no previous convictions, was placed under supervision for two years and ordered to attend addiction services. He was also given an eight-month electronic tagging order as an alternative to a prison sentence and placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.
Sheriff John Hamilton KC ordered destruction of his mobile phone.
