Pervert who took indecent photos jailed

Published on Tuesday 19 December 2006 14:22

A SEX offender banned from talking to children was today jailed for five years after taking indecent photos of three schoolgirls he befriended in a park

James McKerrell, 63, invited six youngsters into his flat at Granton Crescent at different times between July and September this year. One of the children was aged just six.

McKerrell made indecent remarks to three of them, aged between ten and 13, ordered them to strip off or lift their tops and then took the photographs. He gave the three girls cigarettes and cash and offered them alcohol.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told at an earlier hearing that McKerrell has past sex offences and was banned from "forming an association" with children in October last year.

But he ignored the court order and began to chat to local schoolgirls at Granton Park near his home. Over a period of two months he invited six children back to his flat and took the mobile phone numbers of several. He later texted them messages.

His first victim was a ten-year-old girl who he called by name when he spotted her in the park.

A few days later he asked her to his flat with a friend, also aged 10. He offered them alcohol and cigarettes. They returned again and he asked both the girls to pull up their tops so he could take pictures of their naked torsos. with a Polaroid camera.

He then asked one of the youngsters to wear a bikini top he took out of a cupboard. As they left he gave them each 3.

McKerrell pleaded guilty to two charges of lewd behaviour, a breach of the peace, possessing indecent photographs and breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

Sheriff Mhairi Stephen today jailed McKerrell for a total of five years with an extended sentence of one year to run from his release. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.