Cumbernauld Boys' Brigade officer awaits sentence after being caught sending naked pics to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl in online paedo sting

Scott Howie was confronted by members of a self-styled child protection group after the online sting.

Now the shamed wheelchair user faces "catastrophic" consequences after being placed on the sex offenders' register.

Howie, 53, of Barbeth Way, Cumbernauld, served as a director of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland. He resigned following his arrest.

He was also an officer with 1st Condorrat Boys' Brigade.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard this week that Howie sent WhatsApp messages of a sexual nature to a person he thought was a teenage girl named Emily.

He also sent a picture of his face and naked torso as well as "two sexual images".

Lauren Cole, prosecuting, said that when Howie's shocked wife asked him why he'd become involved with the 'girl' he replied: "I don't know why. Boredom."

First offender Howie admitted communicating indecently with a person he believed to be a child on April 11 last year.

Mrs Cole said a member of an online child protection group in South Wales created a fake social media profile and received a message from Howie.

She said: "The decoy identified herself as being a 13-year-old girl.

"Howie acknowledged her age and said 'You're very young. I should not be talking to such a young girl. I got excited that you wanted to chat.'

"He asked her to switch the conversation to WhatsApp and provided his phone number. The conversation continued in a sexual manner until 11.15 that evening."

The Welsh vigilantes then passed Howie's details to another group nearer his home. They confronted him on April 16.

The fiscal added: "He admitted a male in an online profile phot was him. He stated that he knew the person he communicated with was 13 and he should have stopped. The police were then contacted."

Defence solicitor Ian Smart said Howie had co-operated with the investigation and pleaded guilty at an early stage.

He added: "There are catastrophic consequences for him."

It's understood that Howie's wife left him as soon as the offence came to light.

Sheriff Fergus Thomson deferred sentence until March for background reports and a risk assessment.