A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a sex offender who sent unwanted sexually explicit messages via Snapchat to two teen girls at an Ayr holiday park – after repeated attempts to get him transported from jail in England proved unsuccessful.

Joshua Watson, 24, was put on the sex offenders register after he admitted messaging the girls at the Craig Tara caravan park on May 24, 2022.

Watson pleaded guilty last June to two charges of sending messages containing sexual remarks with the purposes of obtaining gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming the victims.

Both offences were committed while Watson was the subject of a bail order imposed at North and West Cumbria Magistrates Court.

Ayr Sheriff Court previously heard that Watson, who was resident at the time in Beaumont Road, Carlisle, engaged in conversation with the two complainers, who were both aged 17, on Snapchat using a “quick add” function.

The procurator fiscal depute told the June 16, 2022 hearing: “The accused sent the witness a message asking for sex.

“On the same time and date he sent a message saying “wanna f***?”.

“The witness blocked the accused. At around 8.30pm on May 26 witnesses contacted police.”

When the case called in Watson’s absence on Thursday, January 12, defence solicitor John Gallagher said his client was unable to be present again, after a sentence imposed by the English Crown Court.

Mr Gallagher said his staff had written to the English authorities a number of times in a bid to have Watson brought to Ayr from custody.

Sheriff Desmond Leslie said: “He needs to be here as he’s on the register.

“I’m going to grant a warrant to apprehend – then they will just have to arrest him and bring him here.”