A sexual predator who groomed a 13-year-old girl on SnapChat has walked free from court after a sheriff described him as a 'thoughtful young man'. John Reilly, aged 22 from Dundee, forced the vulnerable child to call him 'Daddy' while he carried out a sickening role-play game to groom her online over a series of days.
Disturbing Details of the Grooming Case
The court heard that Reilly sought out the teenager on social media and called her 'baby', coercing her into exchanging explicit sexual pictures and videos with him. The young victim was in foster care at the time she was targeted by Reilly, making her particularly vulnerable to exploitation.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing Decision
At Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Paul Ralph acknowledged the seriousness of the offence but decided against imposing a custodial sentence. Instead, Reilly was placed under supervision for three years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
Sheriff Ralph noted Reilly's age—20 at the time of the offence—and suggested the defendant had 'taken leave of his senses' to commit such a crime. The sheriff stated: 'I have given serious thought to simply imposing custody for an offence of this nature. It is not a victimless crime and it is something society as a whole and the court in particular has to crack down on.'
Additional Penalties and Restrictions
In addition to the supervision and community service, Reilly was placed on the sex offenders register for three years. He was also made subject to a conduct requirement that bans him from unsupervised access to children under 18 and strictly limits his internet use to prevent further offending.
How the Crime Was Discovered
The grooming came to light when the girl's foster mother checked her phone and discovered the explicit images that had been exchanged. Police were alerted and traced Reilly to his home, where they seized his iPhone as evidence.
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie told the court there were 17 images and videos involved in the case. When officers spoke to the victim, she confirmed she had told Reilly she was only 13 years old, to which he replied he was 'only a few years older' before progressing the conversation to demand sexual images.
The Nature of the Abuse
During their conversations, Reilly forced the girl to call him 'Daddy' while he used terms of endearment like 'baby', 'gorgeous' and 'darling' to manipulate her. He also sent her a photograph of his private parts as part of the grooming process.
Reilly admitted causing a 13-year-old child to participate in sexual activity by encouraging her to send pictures and videos between March 23 and 28, 2023. His victim's details were found listed among his phone contacts when police examined his device.
Political Reaction to the Sentencing
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr criticised the outcome, stating: 'The Nationalists' reckless under-25 sentencing guidelines result in too many adult offenders, such as this sexual predator, avoiding the prison sentence they deserve.'
The case has raised questions about sentencing for online grooming offences and the protection of vulnerable children in the digital age, particularly when predators use popular social media platforms like SnapChat to target their victims.
