A Hamilton man caught in a paedophile sting for a second time has again avoided a prison sentence.
Douglas Reid faces a lengthy period of supervision in the community aimed at reducing his risk of further offending.
Court appearance and sentence
Reid, 31, of Townhill Street, was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
He admitted indecent social media communication with a person he believed to be a girl aged under 13 years who turned out to be an adult decoy. Reid also admitted carrying a lockback knife at Vue Cinema in Hamilton on the day of his arrest in March last year. However, an allegation that he attempted to meet the 'girl' for sexual activity was dropped.
Defence and sheriff's remarks
Defence lawyer Jackson Bateman acknowledged that Reid's previous conviction for a similar sexual offence “presents difficulties” for him, but pointed out that it was 10 years ago. He was given a community payback order as an alternative to prison on that occasion.
The solicitor stated: “He is a person with vulnerabilities. There have been difficulties with alcohol and substances. However, he has the support of his family. He could be monitored through a supervision regime and I submit that the public interest would be better served by that than a period of custody.”
Sheriff Kevin McCallum KC said his initial intention was to jail Reid but he accepted there had been a “significant gap” between offences.
The sheriff added: “I have to look at public protection and steps to prevent you offending like this in future. Part of my function is to try to provide rehabilitation. I’m narrowly persuaded there might be more protection if I make you the subject of a community payback order with certain conditions.”
Conditions of the order
Reid will be under supervision for three years and faces various restrictions including on his internet use and contact with children. He must do 300 hours of unpaid community work and will be electronically tagged for six months, meaning he has a 7pm to 7am curfew. He must also attend a programme for sex offenders.
The sheriff warned him: “If you don’t comply with these orders you will be looking at custody.”
