May 2021

Scots beast caught ‘inviting girl, 14, over for sex’ by paedo hunters DODGES jail

A Pervert who tried to lure a 14-year-old girl to his home to have sex has dodged jail.

Andrew Halliday exchanged more than 1000 messages on WhatsApp alone with his intended victim as he groomed her for more than six weeks – despite her repeatedly warning him of her age and discussing her days at school with him.

Halliday, 49, was unmasked after members of two vigilante groups swooped on his home in Maddiston, Falkirk, and it emerged the schoolgirl he had been messaging was in fact an adult decoy.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard Halliday had responded to a profile set up on the Twoo dating application under the name “Molly” by one of the groups, Earth Angels.

He engaged “for weeks” with “Molly” in general conversation before asking her to move to the encrypted messaging service WhatsApp.

Mrs Alex Kirk, prosecuting, said: “Between February 1st and February 18th 2020, the accused and ‘Molly’ conversed on WhatsApp on a daily basis.

“He initially talked to her about her family and lifestyle before gradually introducing sexual comments into the conversation.

“This included sexual acts and describing sexual acts.

“On numerous occasions he graphically referred to sexual acts he wished to perform with her and repeatedly expressed his desire to do so.

“Multiple times she reminds him she is 14, and he clearly acknowledges.

“He asks her various questions relating to her days at school and refers to her age when speaking about sexual acts – in particular her sexual inexperience as a result of her age.

“On numerous occasions he asked her to delete the chat he’d been having with her, and asked her if she had disclosed their conversations to anyone.

“He repeatedly acknowledges that he could ‘get into trouble’ if anyone were to find out he was involved with her.

“He then invited her to attend his home address for the purposes of sexual contact.”

At 4pm on February 19th, the decoy, from Earth Angels, and four members of another paedophile hunting group, Shatter The Silence (STS) West Lothian, visited Halliday’s then home in Parkhall Drive, Maddiston.

On being challenged, he repeatedly stated, “she told me she was 19”.

Police were called, and Halliday was arrested.

In response to being cautioned and charged, he shouted, “It was a fiction.”

Halliday, now of Denny, Stirlingshire, pleaded guilty to attempting communicate indecently with a child, and attempting to meet a child with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity.