A GREENOCK sex offender snared by a so-called paedophile hunters group sent explicit messages and photos to people be believed were aged as young as 12.

The actions of George Ahara, 52, have been branded 'shameful' and 'appalling' by a sheriff who heard the facts of the disturbing case ahead of sentencing the pervert.

Ahara pleaded guilty to a total of three indictment charges and is today facing the prospect of a prison sentence.

He admitted sending sexual communications and attempting to communicate indecently with adult decoys whom he believed to be children under the age of 13 on two occasions in June 2022.

Ahara also pleaded guilty to a similar charge concerning what he understood to be a child who had not yet attained the age of 16.

The sheriff court heard that Ahara had been in contact with a user he knew as ‘Rosie’ online between 6 June and 12 June, 2022.

The profile was being run by and adult who was a member of an online child protection group.

Despite having been told in the course of the chat that Rosie was 12-years-old, Ahara continued to send sexually explicit messages.

(Image: Newsquest)

The woman behind the account later attended at Ahara’s then home on Westmorland Road, Larkfield, with other members of the group and livestreamed the confrontation on Facebook.

When challenged, Ahara said: “I was thinking she was an adult.”

A fiscal depute told the court: “He acknowledged that he should have stopped talking when he realised the girls were so young.

“Police attended and were informed of the circumstances.”

Ahara, who now resides in England, was later arrested and charged -making no reply - and a search warrant was granted for his home.

A black mobile phone was seized from the property, with the device's number corresponding with that which was shared with Rosie in the online chat.

On June 6 and 7, 2022, Ahara contacted an online dating profile belonging to ‘Darcy’, which was being run by an adult member of another online child protection group.

The messages sent were ‘immediately explicit’, with Darcy then stating that she was 12 years-old.

(Image: Newsquest)

Ahara continued sending sexual messages and encouraged Darcy to send a selfie, to which she replied with a photoshopped image of a female aged around 12.

The court heard that Ahara later sent a sexually explicit image ‘without warning or prompting’.

On June 18, 2022, the woman running Darcy’s account was on Facebook when she saw that another group had attended Ahara’s home.

She subsequently contacted police and provided screenshots of her conversation with him.

Ahara also admitted being in contact with a third profile belonging to what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

The account had been created by a member of a child protection group who went by the name of Freya.

During the conversation Freya stated her age, to which Ahara replied: “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I thought you were a woman.”

The court heard that he continued to be sexually explicit despite her age having been discussed.

After his arrest, Ahara provided a no comment police interview in the presence of his solicitor.

Addressing Ahara in court, Sheriff James Varney said: “It’s shameful what’s found on this indictment.

“It’s a shameful set of circumstances.

“The narrative does you no credit at all.

“That type of behaviour is appalling.”

Sheriff Varney called for social work reports to be obtained before sentencing, with Ahara due to return to court on July 16.