April 2020

Pervert caught out by ‘distinctive’ tattoo after sending pictures of genitals to ‘school girl’

A perverted computer specialist who sent images of his genitals to who he thought was a young schoolgirl was caught out due to his distinctive tribal tattoo.

Damian Lynch sent disgusting naked pictures and a videos himself to the Internet profile of a 12-year-old girl called Chloe after contacting her on the social media site Kick.

A court heard Lynch, 50, also sent sordid “highly sexual” comments to the profile of a 13-year-old youngster called Emily during his depraved internet sessions two years ago

But the vile IT architect was snared after the two youngster’s profiles turned out to be female police officers who were working undercover in a bid to catch online sex predators.

And police also discovered he had downloaded horrific child abuse images – including a movie showing a five-year-old girl being sexually attacked by an adult male – when they raided his former home in Midlothian, in October 2018.

During a subsequent police interview the businessman denied sending the dirty online images to a child claiming he believed ‘Chloe’ to be an adult who was engaging in online “role play and fantasy”.

Lynch, who owns IT firm DAL Consultancy Ltd, pleaded guilty to three sexual offences and was placed on the sex offenders register when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

The former soldier was due to return to the dock for sentencing last week but the court hearing has been postponed to August due to ongoing coronavirus epidemic.

Last month prosecutor Nicole Lavelle told the court Lynch, a father of two young girls, contacted the two police officers who were posing as children on the free online messenger service Kick.

Ms Lavelle said he engaged in “highly sexual” conversations with both girls and asked ‘Emily’ if she “liked older guys” and if she had ever “played with a guy’s d**k”.

The fiscal said during the pervert’s online chats with ‘Chloe’ he had sent her naked pictures and videos of himself which showed off “a distinctive tribal tattoo on his bicep”.

Ms Lavelle added the pictures included one of Lynch’s erect penis and that he had also attempted to arrange a meeting with the child.

The court was told during Lynch’s police interview he told officers he believed ‘Chloe’ was an adult in her 20s and the pair had been engaging in “role play and fantasy”.

He denied being sexually attracted to children and said he found the images he had downloaded to an electronic tablet and a mobile phone to be “repulsive”.

Solicitor Jim Stephenson, defending, said he would reserve mitigation to the sentencing hearing.

Sheriff Michael O’Grady QC placed Lynch, currently of Seafield, Edinburgh, on the sex offenders register for a term still to be decided and deferred full sentence.

Lynch pleaded guilty to contacting who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl called Emily, who in fact was an undercover police officer, and sent communications of an indecent nature on July 16, 2018 at an address at Thornyhall, Dalkeith, Midlothian.

He also admitted to contacting who he believed to be a girl called Chloe, who in fact was an undercover police officer, and caused her to look at a sexual image by sending still and moving images of a sexual nature and repeatedly sending her communications of a sexual nature between September 27 and October 18, 2018 at the same address.

He also admitted to possessing indecent images of children at the same address between 12 July and 20 October 2018.