Peter Sugden, of Falkirk, began communicating with the Kik profile on 11 June 2024 and was told it belonged to a 13-year-old girl from Essex. 

The account was in fact being controlled by an adult volunteer from an online protection team. Over the course of several days, Sugden, 46, sent indecent messages and made sexual remarks towards the child decoy.

On 27 June 2024, he was confronted at his home by members of the online protection team with police then called. After being taken to Falkirk Police Station, Sugden made full and frank admissions during an interview.

He told officers that the messages were sent before he left for work, at lunchtimes and early in the evening on an almost daily basis. His mobile phone was examined and found to contain 12 child abuse images ranging from Category A to C.

On 2 April 2025, at Falkirk Sheriff Court, Sugden pled guilty to taking or making indecent images between March 2019 and June 2024. He also admitted attempting to indecently communicate with a child.

At the same court yesterday, Sugden was given a three-year Community Payback Order during which time he will be subject to supervision and restrictions. His name was added to the sex offenders register. 

Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: “Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl.

“Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse. Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.”