Fife on-line predator (69) asked ’14-year-old girl’ if she wanted a baby
A Fife pensioner sent naked pictures of himself to a 14-year-old girl and asked her, “Do you want a baby honey?”
On-line predator Ronald Myers (69) also sent an image of his penis telling the girl, “That is what makes babies” and added, “You can see the real thing when you get here babe.”
However, the teenage girl ‘Shazza’ was in fact a decoy profile set up by paedophile-hunters who then turned up at Myers’ door in Kelty.
The confrontation was shown live on Facebook with Myers admitting he had asked the ‘girl’ to move in with him.
Myers, now of Cardenden, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court today.
He admitted that between 15th and 21st August at his then home in Loch Leven Terrace, Kelty, he sent messages of a sexual nature to a person he believed was under the age of 16, attempted to cause them to look at a sexual image and via on-line applications sent still images and video images of a sexual nature.
Myers was caught in a sting operation set up through two paedophile-hunter groups, the ‘Children’s Guardian’ and ‘Justice for the Innocent, Scottish Division.”
Depute fiscal Alex Kirk told the court a decoy Facebook profile of a 14-year-old girl called ‘Shazza’ from Birmingham was set up.
Initial contact took place on an app called ‘Tagged’ then moved on to ‘WhatsApp’.
Miles Manning, who set up the profile, began talking to a male with the profile name ‘Ronnie M’ on 15th August.
“Between 15th and 21st August various exchanges took place between the accused and the decoy. During these exchanges the decoy stated she was 14 years old,” added the depute.
The messages sent to ‘Shazza’ by Myers included, “Do you want a baby honey?”
Myers then sent an image of himself naked with a semi-erect penis with the comment, “That is what makes babies” and added, “You can see the real thing when you get here babe.”
The depute went on, “The accused also sent footage of himself naked and masturbating.”
The paedo-hunters obtained Myers’ home address and turned up at his door at around 7pm on Wednesday 18th August with the confrontation being streamed live via Facebook.
During the conversation, Myers admitted that he had been talking to a 14-year-old girl on-line before being told this was a decoy.
He also admitted inviting the girl to move in with him.
During the streamed conversation Mr Manning spoke to Myers via a phone link and asked, “You think it’s okay to ask a 14-year-old girl to go and live with you?”
Myers replied, “I was going to look after her.”
Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said his client was a retired bus driver and had lived alone since being divorced in 1982.
“He has become increasingly lonely and began chatting to females on-line. He accepts he thought this was a 14-year-old girl. He was flattered the girl seemed to be attracted to him.
“He is disgusted with what was said in the chats. He has had to move into another area since this happened.”
Sheriff Craig McSherry called for reports and Myers will be sentenced on 7th May. He has been placed on the sex offenders’ register with immediate effect.