A 50-year-old man from Maybole has avoided prison after admitting sending indecent images to a person he believed was a 12-year-old child in an online sting operation.

Jason Mason, of Whitehall, appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to causing the person he believed to be a girl to look at a sexual image. The offence happened between March 27 and April 10, 2024, from an address in Oakwood Avenue, Ayr.

The court heard that Mason sent images of his naked genitals and torso. Prosecutors said he attempted to cause a child to view the photographs for sexual gratification, or to humiliate, distress or alarm the recipient.

Online contact led to Craig Tara confrontation

The Procurator Fiscal depute told the court that the witness was part of a vigilante paedophile-hunting group and was acting as a decoy on April 4, 2024.

The accused began to engage the witness in conversation. The witness sent a picture of herself made to look 12-years-old on an online application.

Mason added the decoy to WhatsApp and, at 9pm that evening, sent an image of himself naked.

The witness then contacted another person from a separate group. They agreed to confront Mason in a sting operation, and members went to Craig Tara Holiday Park on April 10 to find him.

Police were contacted and attended, members pointed the accused out to officers and provided messages.

Mason was told he was under arrest and taken to Kilmarnock police office.

Court imposes restrictions and unpaid work

A not guilty plea to a separate charge of intentionally sending an indecent and sexual written communication in an attempt to communicate with a child was accepted as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Defence solicitor Tony Currie said Mason had come to Scotland and found employment for 14 years before the incident. He said Mason accepted that his actions were wrong, was looking for work and could not return to bar work at Craig Tara on police advice.

He appreciated this was completely wrong.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew said the behaviour was serious because Mason understood he was dealing with a minor. The sheriff said custody was an option but concluded there was an alternative to prison if Mason accepted it.

Mason was placed on a community payback order lasting two years. He must complete 225 hours of unpaid work and attend a programme designed to address sex offending behaviour.

He has also been added to the sex offenders register for two years. Further conditions prevent him from having unsupervised access to children under 16 and prohibit him from using the internet.

Explaining the restrictions, Sheriff Pettigrew said being in a shop when a child enters would not itself breach the order, but following a child would.