A predator who used a street hockey Facebook group to groom a fake schoolboy has been banned from contact with children.
Spirit Traum was snared by an undercover cop posing as 13-year-old boy while acting as an administrator of a social media group dedicated to the sport.
The 22-year-old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday for sentencing and escaped a jail term for the offence.
Sheriff Chris Dickson put Traum under supervision for three years and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
The sheriff placed Traum on the sex offenders register for three years and imposed a number of conduct requirements on him.
Traum was prohibited from any contact with children under 17 without the permission of his supervising officer.
He was also banned from deleting his web history and possessing any internet-enabled device without reporting it.
Earlier defence agent Mary Moultrie said her client, a first offender, had difficulties understanding social boundaries.
In February the court heard how Traum was contacted by ‘13-year-old Josh’ who wished to join the street hockey group.
Fiscal depute Alan Wickham said Traum started sending explicit photos and videos of himself to ‘Josh’ along with obscene messages.
But the youngster was actually a police officer tasked with catching perverts online by using fake accounts.
Police swooped on Traum hours after he tried to arrange to meet ‘Josh’ near his Edinburgh address.
Traum pled guilty to attempting to communicate indecently with an older child.
He also admitted attempting to meet someone he believed was an older child with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity.
Mr Wickham told that hearing: “Josh was pretending to be interested in learning the game.”
Traum began sending explicit images to Josh over the course of seven days, the court heard, and stated he was the person in the photos, including one where he was naked and tied up.
Mr Wickham said Josh told the accused he was 13 and “regularly reminded” him of his age during their conversations.
Trauma asked the ‘teenager’ if he was “smooth or hairy”, later adding: “I like boys smooth.”
Mr Wickham said Traum continued to send explicit images and videos and asked for nudes of Josh to be sent in return.
The prosecutor said: “It was suggested by the accused that they meet. The accused stated he wanted to meet Josh to play hockey but went on to state, ‘You might get f****ed after’.”
Police detained Traum at his home in the city’s Fountainbridge area on September 28 2021, and he was taken to Dalkeith police station.
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