A FIFE man who wanted to have sex with a 12-year-old boy has walked free from court.

Child sex predator David Jackson was cornered by a paedophile hunter group after he sent indecent images and video to what he thought was a 12-year-old schoolboy.

Jackson said he wanted to meet the boy for sex and told him to make sure his parents did not see the messages on his phone.

However, the 12-year-old boy ‘Cameron’ was in fact a decoy set up by the Wolf Pack Hunters UK group to expose child sex offenders like Jackson.

He has now walked free from court and an order was put in place preventing the public finding out where Jackson, previously of Kelty and Kirkcaldy, is now living.

Jackson was confronted by the group when he went to Dunfermline’s Pittencrieff Park after arranging to meet Cameron.

The ‘sting’ incident was shown live on social media and the video has been viewed more than 200,000 times.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, Jackson avoided a jail term and a ban was put in place preventing the publication of his new address.

Most of the hearing was taken up with Jackson’s concerns for his personal safety.

Jackson, 37, previously admitted that on various occasions between April 15 and May 26, he sent sexual images and a video containing sexual images to an adult posing as a child under the age of 13.

He also admitted that on various occasions between April 15 and May 26 and elsewhere he sent sexual communications to an adult posing as a child.

Depute fiscal Jamie Hilland previously told the court: “Wolf Pack Hunters UK is a group of individuals claiming to protect children from online predators by setting up decoy profiles.

“These individuals will say they are a child and then record online conversations.”

In this case, a profile had been set up purporting to be a 12-year-old boy called Cameron.

Jackson contacted this profile and began to engage in a “sexualised conversation”, added the depute.

At one point, Jackson posted: “I’m 25 years older than you.”

When Jackson said the boy was “intelligent”, Cameron wrote back saying he tried to “do my school work”.

Jackson told the decoy: “Make sure you parents don’t go through your phone”, and asked: “Can I trust you?”

Other posts included: “Mind delete this before you crash out. I’m not going to be able to chat to you if I’m in jail LOL.”

Jackson then sent images of an erect penis and video of him masturbating.

The depute went on: “The accused said he wanted to meet him and perform sexual acts on him.”

Police were contacted by the group and when officers spoke to Jackson he said: “I was chatting to someone online.” His mobile phone was seized.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison asked for the sheriff to impose a court order banning the publication of Jackson’s address.

He said: “The background appears to be the breakdown of a long-term relationship with an adult male. He says his interests are in the male homosexual arena. He was feeling isolated and turned to alcohol and became involved in this offending.

“Prior to the break-up in his relationship, he did not have an interest in this arena.

“There have been difficulties in him being outed. He’s been required to move house twice because of that. A brick was thrown through a window.”

Mr Morrison said some of the paedophile hunters had posted on social media stating that they “mean to do him harm”.

He said that his client also had concerns about doing unpaid work. “He was involved in the Fife-wide LGBT movement and is well-known through that.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair said: “It’s quite clear that you were wanting to have conversations of a sexual nature with a very young boy. In fact, there was no young boy but that doesn’t detract from your intentions.”

He went on: “If it had been a genuine boy I would undoubtedly be sending you to a period of imprisonment.”

However, as there was no actual victim in this case, the sheriff said he could make a distinction and impose a non-custodial sentence.

He imposed a community payback order with two years’ supervision and 190 hours of unpaid work. Jackson will also be on the sex offenders' register.