Latest Offenders Invergordon

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A 30-year-old Highland man who groomed a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity has escaped a jail sentence.

Married but now divorced Thomas Baird had been warned by a sheriff he faced a "custodial sentence of a considerable length."

But after reading a background report and hearing from defence solicitor advocate Clare Russell, Sheriff Gary Aitken instead decided to impose a "robust community payback order" and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The SHPO restricts Baird's internet activity and contact with children under the age of 16 for the next five years. He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for the same period.

The sheriff told the first offender, who must also carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and remain under social work supervision for three years: "This was an appalling offence which society takes an unbelievably dim view of. You are very close to a lengthy prison sentence but my principal concern is to try and make sure you do not do anything like this ever again."

If he does not comply, the sheriff told Baird he would go to jail.

The court heard that Baird, who was living with his parents in Invergordon, had to move out after their home was attacked and bricks thrown through their windows. Baird is now accommodated in a house of multiple occupancy in Inverness.

After sentencing, Baird disguised himself and had to be secretly smuggled from the building by police for his own protection. Some of the victim's family, who had muttered their disapproval in court at the non-custodial sentence, were waiting for him outside the Justice Centre.

The court previously heard that Baird committed the offences while living with his wife at addresses in Alness and elsewhere between December 1, 2018 and January 27, 2020.

He admitted encouraging the boy to watch videos and look at images of sexual activity, sent him sexual communications and requested sexual photographs of the boy as well as sending him pictures of his private parts.

The lengthy charge against Baird included him touching the boy's private parts.

Fiscal depute Robert Weir told the court that the boy's mother was increasingly worried about the amount of time he was spending with Baird.

She also found sexual messages and images on her son's phone but her fears were dismissed by some in Baird's family. One accused her of being "vindictive."

The boy was interviewed twice by police, the first time he confirmed some sexual behaviour but it was only on the second occasion that he admitted there had been sexual activity to prove the mother right.