Coalburn man dodges jail after paying 13-year-old girls hundreds of pounds to send him naked photos
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2025 1:57 pm
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-a ... g-35598745
[...] Sleazy Martin Murray befriended the youngsters on Snapchat.
He told one she had a "really pretty" face before demanding pictures of "the real stuff".
Murray, 49, of Pretoria Court, Coalburn, admitted getting two girls to send him intimate images between October and November 2020.
Airdrie Sheriff Court heard they used the cash to buy clothes.
Annette Ward, prosecuting, said one girl, who lived in the south of England, accepted a request from Murray to talk on Snapchat.
He told her he was in his 40s and they chatted about school. She then asked him for £50 and in response he sent her £10 via Paypal.
Ms Ward stated: "Murray asked what she looked like and she sent him a photo of her face.
"He replied 'Wow! You look really pretty.' and asked her for pictures of 'the real stuff'. "He asked her for photos in her bra and then to take off her underwear.
"She was naked in some of the photos she sent. He told her she had a nice body and sent heart emojis.
"In general he would send money before she sent pictures. Sometimes if she was out shopping she would ask him for money. He would send it and ask for something in return later.
"The girl thinks she sent him more than 20 photos and videos and received in the region of £600 from Murray.
"She told a friend who added Murray on Snapchat. The friend also sent nude pictures and thinks she got about £70 from him."
Ms Ward said the first girl told police she knew what she was doing was wrong and began to worry that someone would find out.
The prosecutor added: "Contact came to an end when the second girl's mum found out about it."
Murray told police he believed the girls were 16 and claimed he couldn't remember asking them for naked pictures.
But he admitted: "I might have had a few drinks and been looking for attention."
Defence lawyer Archie Hill said Murray has no history of similar offending and hasn't been in trouble since this came to light in early 2021.
Mr Hill told the court: "At the time of these offences the country was subject to a Covid lockdown and restrictions.
"His alcohol consumption had increased, he became disinhibited and started surfing the internet.
"He is remorseful, ashamed and embarrassed."
Social workers say parcel delivery driver Murray poses a high risk of further sex offending, but Sheriff Joseph Hughes told him: "I must consider if there is a prospect of rehabilitation.
"The clear intention of the custody threshold test, in my opinion, is to reserve prison for the most serious offences.
"A community order with suitably accredited programme requirements designed for people convicted of sexual offences can be a proper alternative to a short, or even moderate, custodial sentence."
Murray, whose partner has stood by him, was given a three-year supervision order and must complete the 'Moving Forward, Making Changes' programme.
He faces a 7pm-7am curfew under a six-month electronic tagging order and will be on the sex offenders' register for five years.