A pervert calling himself ‘Scottish Willy’ targeted girls he believed to be 12-years-old with vile web cam videos but they were actually undercover cops.
Craig Birrell contacted the ‘youngsters’ called Gemma and Kaitlyn through online chat rooms and told them he wanted to have sex.
The 53-year-old stripped off in video chats from his home in Edinburgh and performed a sex act, believing the victims were children.
But the predator was caught in a sting as ‘Gemma’ and ‘Kaitlyn’ turned out to be police officers who documented his depravity.
Birrell appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Tuesday. He pled guilty to two charges of causing a person he believed to be under 13 to look at a sexual image and communicating indecently.
Fiscal depute Callum Thomson said Birrell used the online name ‘Scottish Willy’ to communicate with Gemma and Kaitlyn in chat rooms.
Mr Thomson said Birrell told the girls he wanted to meet with them for “fun”.
The court heard Birrell told the pair that he was willing to come to see them so they could “watch him strip for real” and “touch his c***”.
Mr Thomson said Birrell used a web camera to broadcast footage of himself.
Birrell admitted removing his clothes and carrying out a sex act which the ‘girls’ could see on their screens.
Mr Thomson said Birrell also invited Kaitlyn to “another round of strip shows”.
The court was told Birrell was given the youngsters’ email addresses and sent messages, particularly to Gemma who told the accused she was 12 in an email.
Birrell carried out the offending against ‘Gemma’ between August 19 and September 18 2020 and against ‘Kaitlyn’ between August 10 and September 18 2020.
In November 2020 police traced an IP address belonging to their suspect to the home of Birrell’s partner in Edinburgh whom he lived with.
Officers seized a number of computer devices and the court heard Birrell admitted his conduct.
Mr Thompson said Birrell told cops he “knew it was wrong but it was a compulsion”.
Defence agent Mark Harrower said his client was a first offender.
Mr Harrower said Birrell was engaged with the Stop It Now! child protection charity and a private psychotherapist.
Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC deferred sentence on Birrell, of the city’s Polwarth area, until next month for reports.
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