A MAN who groomed four underage girls by creating a fake Facebook profile has been jailed.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pretended to be an Emily Cairns between November 2 and November 19, 2016 and messaged the 15-year-olds unwanted sexual remarks.

The 49-year-old who lived in Troon at the time took pseudo photographs of children between January 2 and January 15, 2017. He appeared before Sheriff Carole Cunninghame at Ayr Sheriff Court last week.

Defence solicitor, Peter Lockhart said: “This is a concerning case and I am sure it causes your Ladyship concern. Indecent images were found on his mobile phone.

“In early May he pleaded guilty to the charges relating to the young girls. For these girls to have come to court and testify would not have been a nice experience.

“He will be 50 this year and lives with his current partner who remains supportive of him. He was going through personal difficulties when these offences took place in 2016.

“My client decided to move to Scotland to get a fresh start but he was unable to have contact with his three children. He had two Facebook accounts, one was in his own name.

“When he moved up north the mother of the children blocked him. He then set up a fake Facebook in the name of Emily Cairns with a fake picture. As a result he was able to access his former partner’s account and see pictures of his children but he did not make any contact with them.

“Regarding the indecent images he was suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but he should have known better. So far as these images are concerned, there is nothing else I can really add.”

The man has been jailed for 18 months and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.