Robert Griffiths, aged 60, of Gala Park Court, Galashiels, Scottish Borders, was convicted at Selkirk Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to attempting to communicate indecently with a child and possessing indecent images of children.
The court heard that between 19 October and 12 November, Griffiths engaged in digital communications with an online decoy account operating under the persona of a 13-year-old female child named Madison Robertson. As part of the interaction, Griffiths provided his private telephone number and requested that the conversation transition to WhatsApp so they could communicate outside parental oversight.
Prosecutor Ruaridh Allison outlined that the exchange escalated into explicit sexual communications, with Griffiths sending approximately 25 messages of an indecent nature after the decoy mentioned attending a Halloween party. The child-safety group managing the decoy account alerted Police Scotland and conducted a confrontation at Griffiths’ home address.
Officers attended the property and seized multiple electronic devices. Forensic examinations of Griffiths’ mobile telephone revealed two images and two videos depicting children between the ages of four and 13 engaged in sexual activity and being subjected to sexual abuse by adults.
Appearing before Selkirk Sheriff Court, Griffiths entered formal guilty pleas to attempting to communicate indecently with a child and two charges relating to the possession of indecent images of children.
Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentencing until 17 July for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment, placing Griffiths on the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act in the interim. Griffiths died approximately two months following his court conviction.
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