Easter Ross man who sexually groomed boy told he faces 'considerable' jail sentence

A 30-year-old Easter Ross man who groomed a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity has been warned by a sheriff he faces a "custodial sentence of a considerable length".

Thomas Baird, who now lives with his parents at Ness Gardens, Invergordon, committed the offences while living with his wife in addresses in Alness and elsewhere between December 1, 2018 and January 27, 2020.

He admitted encouraging the boy to watch videos and look at images of sexual activity, sent him sexual communications and requested sexual photographs of the boy as well as sending him pictures of his private parts.

The lengthy charge against Baird included him touching the boy's private parts.

Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Inverness Sheriff Court that the boy's mother was increasingly worried about the amount of time he was spending with Baird.

She also found sexual messages and images on her son's phone but her fears were dismissed by some in Baird's family. One accused her of being "vindictive."

The boy was interviewed twice by police, the first time he confirmed some sexual behaviour but it was only on the second occasion that he admitted there had been sexual activity to prove the mother right.

Sentence was deferred until June 30 for a background report and his bail was continued.

But Sheriff Gary Aitken told Baird: "This is a grave charge and a custodial sentence of a considerable length is a very real possibility."