Cumbernauld Paedophile who moved to Motherwell is jailed for child sex offences

Paul McSharry plied a 13-year-old victim with cocaine and alcohol before molesting her as she lay in bed. Another girl was aged between 10 and 12 when McSharry abused her in bed during an overnight stay at his home.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard the married dad of two also arranged to meet a 13-year-old girl in the north of England after grooming her online.

McSharry, 48, admitted three charges of sexual abuse and three of sending indecent messages to children.

Defence advocate Janice Green admitted the offences were likely to have a "devastating" impact on his victims.

Sheriff Derek Livingston told McSharry there "There appears to be an element of minimalisation by you. This was a course of conduct over nearly four years and a lengthy custodial sentence is, in my view, inevitable."

McSharry, formerly of Cumbernauld and now of Merry Street, Motherwell, will be supervised for 20 months on his release.

He will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

He targeted girls at addresses in Cumbernauld and Glasgow between May 2016 and March 2020.

The court also heard that on two occasions McSharry slapped and squeezed the bottom of a 14-year-old girl after giving her a lift in his van.

The court told how McSharry, using the name Scotsguy05, befriended a 13-year-old girl from Preston on Snapchat.

He claimed to be only 16 and sent "numerous" messages, saying how he wanted to "explore her body".

However the girl blocked him on Snapchat and he was reported to Lancashire Police.

It later emerged that McSharry had also sent explicit Snapchat messages to two other girls, aged 13 and 16.

The court heard he blamed drug use and mental health issues for his offending.

His lawyer said: "The breakdown of his marriage has been a contributory factor

" But he remains on good terms with his wife and his children have been in contact with him even while he has been in custody awaiting sentence."