Scots creep who sent 15,000 texts to schoolgirl before sexual encounter jailed

A man from Scotland who bombarded a schoolgirl with 15,000 messages before engaging in a sexual encounter with her has been sentenced to 18 months in jail. Darren McCulloch, aged 26, initially received a message from the 14-year-old girl on social media while gaming and continued to communicate with her through various platforms like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facetime, despite being aware of her age. The conversations between McCulloch and the girl turned highly sexual, leading to the exchange of numerous intimate images. They eventually arranged to meet in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, in September 2022, where McCulloch engaged in sexual activity with the underage girl.

The girl’s parents noticed changes in her behaviour, prompting them to investigate and discover the explicit messages and images shared between their daughter and McCulloch. Following police intervention and an investigation into the thousands of exchanged messages on WhatsApp, McCulloch, a resident of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, appeared in Hamilton Sheriff Court. He pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with the girl and to indecent communication with her between May and September 2022.

Sheriff Liam Murphy declared that due to the severity of the case, there was no alternative to imprisonment and sentenced McCulloch to 18 months in jail, with an additional 10 years on the sex offenders’ register. McCulloch was also prohibited from contacting the victim for five years. Depute fiscal Scott O’Connor detailed that the communication between McCulloch and the girl escalated from affectionate to sexual over time, leading to their physical meeting. Despite the defence acknowledging McCulloch’s isolated upbringing, Sheriff Murphy emphasised the significant age gap and the harm caused by his actions.

In conclusion, the case of Darren McCulloch serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online grooming and the need for vigilance in protecting vulnerable individuals, especially minors, from online predators. Parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor their children’s online activities and educate them about the importance of staying safe and setting boundaries when interacting with strangers on the internet. Law enforcement agencies continue to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activities or individuals to prevent such incidents from reoccurring and to ensure the safety of the community.