Fife sex offender caught in police online sting
A 50-year-old Fife man was caught in a police sting when he thought he was having an online sex chat with a 13-year-old girl.
The ‘girl’ was in fact an undercover police officer engaged in an operation to snare sex offenders preying on children.
As a result, Michael Kilbank, of High Street, Kincardine, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He admitted that between 21st and 22nd June he attempted to send sexual written communications to a person he believed to be a child aged 13 and by means of a social media platform he repeatedly made sexual comments to her.
Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said Police Scotland received information about a man claiming to be aged 32, having a conversation with a 13-year-old girl.
“This conversation progressed on to a sexualised matters,” he added.
Police were granted a search warrant for Kilbank’s home.
When interviewed later, Kilbank initially said he could not recall the conversation.
He then said he had previously spoken to people under 16 but had stopped this.
Kilbank eventually admitted having the conversation with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl and sending her an image.
Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said, “He admitted his guilt when he appeared from custody. He is thoroughly ashamed of himself.”
Sheriff Pino di Emidio imposed a community payback order with one year’s supervision and 120 hours of unpaid work.
He also granted a Crown motion for the forfeiture of a mobile phone used in the offence. Kilbank has been placed on the sex offenders’ register.
