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Scott Barr, a 35-year-old resident of Newmilns in East Ayrshire, appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court where he admitted to engaging in sexual communication with an 11-year-old girl between April 2, 2023, and April 27, 2023. The case came to light after the girl's mother noticed unusual behaviour, including her daughter becoming protective of her mobile phone and later discovering self-harm, prompting an inspection of the device that revealed the disturbing messages.
The communications began around the end of March 2023 when the girl added Barr on Snapchat via the 'quick add' feature. Barr initiated contact and the exchanges soon turned sexualised across WhatsApp and Snapchat. On April 2, 2023, Barr requested pictures of the girl, asking to see a 'saved picture of your body again'. When the girl questioned his concern about her age, Barr replied dismissively, 'no, not if you don’t and I wouldn’t say anything to anyone if you don’t'.
Barr instructed the girl to take a video showing her face, promising to detail his desires in a voice message. He sent explicit directives, such as asking her to 'lift her zipper up so can see your body then slide one hand down whatever your wearing below and I’ll w**k live xxxxxxxx'. On April 10, 2023, Barr sent multiple graphic messages expressing his sexual intentions, stating he 'wished' he was with her and was 'so hard thinking of you'. He alluded to performing oral sex to alleviate her headache and sore throat, while describing his own masturbation. A video of Barr masturbating was saved on the girl's phone, alongside Snapchat logs. Barr even attempted to arrange a meeting with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity. The procurator fiscal depute, Abigail McKenna, detailed these events in court, highlighting the predatory nature of the interactions. Police examined the girl's phone and confirmed the evidence. On May 18, 2023, Barr was arrested at Cathcart police station, where he provided no reply when cautioned and charged.
Sheriff Eoin McGinty, presiding over the case, noted that Barr had no prior prison experience and ordered reports to be prepared, adjourning the sentencing until the following month. The sheriff warned, 'You have to be very clear that a custodial sentence is almost inevitable.' In the interim, Barr was placed on the sex offenders' register and remanded in custody. The case was reported by Emylie Howie for Ayrshire Today, drawing on court proceedings at Paisley Sheriff Court.