Moray man admits seeking indecent photos from 'under age girls'
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A 48-year-old man from Moray was snared by a paedophile hunting group after trying to groom young girls to send him indecent photographs.
However, the under age girls were actually decoys employed by the Hunting Online Predators Everyday group, known as HOPE.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard today that police raided Kevin Johnston's home in Forres.
After seizing phones and a computer, it was discovered he had also tried to solicit indecent photos from two other targets.
Neither of these targets could be traced and it's unknown whether they were also decoys or real teenage girls.
Johnston did not appear before Sheriff Elidh Macdonald.
Instead, his lawyer, Grant Daglish tendered guilty pleas to charges of communicating sexually between March 25 and July 4 last year with people he believed to be children.
Mr Daglish reserved his comments until sentencing on April 29.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said that the decoys made it clear online how old they supposedly were and did not initiate any sexual communications.
Mr Weir said Johnston tried to persuade the girls to send him "naughty pictures".
He also sent them videos in which he performed sex acts on himself.
One of his user names was 'hornyhighlander', but he also used 'cantsleepmale'.
Mr Weir stated that in one instance Johnstone continued to send sexual messages for three months trying to get a response.
Mr Weir added: "For his own safety, Johnston agreed to attend at Elgin Police Station on a voluntary basis.
"When interviewed, he admitted to engaging with females of all ages on various applications and websites sending sexual chat and videos of himself masturbating, despite some stating they were aged between 13 and 16.
"He claimed he was not sexually attracted to children and that he was merely bored and did not consider the consequences of his actions."
Sheriff Macdonald ordered a background report, and assessments of Johnston's suitability for a sex offender's rehabilitation programme and a restriction of liberty order. His bail was continued.
Johnston was immediately placed on the Sex Offender's Register.
