A PERVERT who contacted an 11-year-old girl via social media was unmasked by a member of her family who set up a fake Facebook profile — pretending to be another underage female.

Seedy Callum May, 42, sent a picture of his private parts to who he thought was a 15-year-old girl, before arranging a late-night meeting with her in Greenock’s Barrs Cottage area.

But he was stunned after being confronted by an adult male relative of the 11-year-old at the darkened rendezvous location.

The man filmed May on a mobile phone while quizzing him about his vile behaviour.

Police — who were later informed of the sting — subsequently raided May’s home in Tasker Street, Greenock, and seized two mobile phones and a laptop computer he had been using in his bedroom.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady told the town’s sheriff court: “The accused was in contact with a young girl, who was aged 11 at the time, via messages sent through Facebook.

“There was nothing in the messages to suggest that anything inappropriate was being said.

“However, the girl’s mother was unhappy, given the accused’s age, and she intervened and told him to stop contacting her daughter.

“The girl’s father informed another family member about what had been happening.

“The relative generated a false Facebook profile in the name of ‘Jamie Russell’ and pretended to be a 15-year-old girl, posting his own mobile number online.”

The court heard that May began sending messages to the ‘girl’ on August 19 last year and that the conversation quickly became ‘somewhat sexual’.

Fiscal depute Mrs Brady said: “In particular the accused sent messages asking questions about the sex life of the apparent 15-year-old.

“He asked what kind of underwear she was wearing and what she did with her boyfriend.

“The person behind the false profile continued to answer the accused, who sent pictures of his own private parts.”

May progressed the contact rapidly to the point where he arranged to meet the person whom he believed to be a schoolgirl the following day, the court was told.

The man behind the fake Facebook profile went to Barrs Cottage with a friend in order to confront the pervert.

May’s name was called out and he turned around to see two men who verbally challenged him about the messages and pictures.

Prosecutor Mrs Brady said: “The accused also had his photograph taken and then he ran off.

“The family of the 11-year-old girl reported matters to the police.

“Officers were shown the indecent picture that the accused had sent.”

Police obtained a search warrant and swooped on May’s home on August 23 before arresting him and taking him to Greenock police office in the early hours of the following morning.

It transpired that May — who gave a ‘no comment’ interview to detectives — had taken the indecent images of himself within his bedroom, and that these pictures were found on two separate phones.

Mrs Brady said: “It was established that the accused has learning difficulties and he required to have an appropriate adult present.”

Defence lawyer Gerry Keenan reserved his plea in mitigation on behalf of May for a sentencing hearing which is due to take place next month.

Sheriff Iain Fleming has ordered background reports on May prior to the case calling again on June 8.