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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Connor Gordon & Kathleen Speirs

Glasgow Snapchat paedophile who admitted to having 'sex act' photo now claims he's innocent

A Glasgow Snapchat paedophile, who admitted to having a 'sex act' photo of a young boy, now claims he is innocent.

Kieran Wilks fessed up to possessing the vile image at Glasgow Sheriff Court in July. The 22-year-old was rumbled with the image on his phone at his home in Castlemilk in 2019.

Court heard that the boy in the photograph was aged between four and eight. Wilks, a support assistant at a primary school in Glasgow's south side, was also a youth complex volunteer and worked with a group that protects vulnerable children. He was due to be sentenced on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Missing Paisley schoolboy sparks police probe as teen could be in Dundee

John Kilcoyne, defending, told the court there was a change of lawyers since the plea of guilty after a “relationship breakdown” between Wilks and his solicitor.

Mr Kilcoyne said: “He maintains his innocence and I do not have the papers from the previous agents.”

Sheriff Diana McConnell asked if there will be a withdrawal of Wilks’ guilty plea.

Mr Kilcoyne replied: “There may be but I don’t have the papers or expert report.”

Prosecutor Derek Buchanan told an earlier hearing that Wilks was living with his mother and older brother at the time of the offence.

Mr Buchanan said: "He was employed as a support assistant within a primary school in Glasgow's south side doing after-school social care. He was involved in a youth complex and was a child member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups."

Police attended the property to "make certain enquiries." Wilks handed over his mobile phone at the time. It was later found to contain the single image of the child engaged in a sex act.

Mr Buchanan added: "The image had been created in September 2019. The image had been in the deleted folder of the phone and had originated from the Snapchat app."

Wilks was put on the sex offenders register. Sentence has been further deferred until next month.

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