Internet chatroom pervert is jailed

Published on Monday 6 April 2009 10:44

A 41-year old man, who pretended to be 18 and contacted teenage girls on an internet chatline asking them to expose themselves on a webcam, has been jailed.

Paul Quinn, a prisoner in Saughton, pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court previously to being in possession of the indecent photographs between January 15, 2007, and November 2 last year; to inducing a 15-year old girl to expose herself on the webcam; and to asking a 16-year old girl to do the same. The girls lived in England.

Sentence was deferred until today for background reports.

When one of his victims, the 15-year old girl, contacted the police, they obtained a search warrant and raided his home in Windsor Square, Penicuik.

On his computer they found 553 pornographic still images and 85 indecent video images. The images were of girls aged between six and 10.

Quinn's solicitor, Nigel Bruce, said his client believed he had "some form of illness which needed to be addressed".

"He knows himself he needs help", he added.

Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie, QC, sentenced Quinn to a six-year extended sentence, with a custodial period of 36 months and also placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.