No prison for soldier after text shame

A SOLDIER who has served all over the world has avoided jail for sending lewd texts to young girls and having a stash of 500 indecent images.

Corporal Gavin Booth, 30, who was based at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh, was yesterday ordered to carry out 225 hours of community service and was put on probation for three years. He will also be on the sex offenders register for the same period of time.

The court had heard he asked one 13-year-old girl to send him pictures of her in her underwear and asked a 15-year-old questions about her body parts.

He was caught after his wife looked at his computer while he was away on a camping trip.

First offender Booth, of Beverley Terrace, Cullercoats, North Shields, admitted carrying out the offences between June 12, 2007, and August 28, 2009, at Latch Park, Edinburgh.

The court heard when Booth was interviewed he admitted having the images and distributing some of them to contacts.

He admitted searching for girls aged between 14 and 19, saying he had a sexual interest in that age group. He said he had an obsession with the internet rather than actual sex.