A paedophile has been jailed for three years after vigilantes trapped him in an online sting for a second time.
Craig Edgeler, 52, had completed a prison sentence only months before he was caught again.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard he sent nude photos to a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.
But "Darcy" turned out to be an adult member of a self-styled child protection group, Shatter the Silence.
Edgeler, of Suna Path, Shotts, admitted sending indecent messages and photos to an adult pretending to be a child, between September 7 and October 9 last year.
He was freed from jail in March 2021 after a two-year sentence for similar offences, again involving a vigilante pretending to be a girl aged 12.
Jennifer Cunningham, prosecuting, told the court this week that Edgeler befriended "Darcy" and told her he was 31. She said she was “nearly 13”.
Their conversations on WhatsApp became “more sexualised” and he told her he “could kiss those sexy legs all night”.
Edgeler sent the female two naked photos and tried to get her to send him explicit pictures of herself in return.
He also suggested they meet at a supermarket in Bathgate.
However, on October 9, he was confronted at his home by members of Shatter the Silence who also contacted the police.
When arrested, Edgeler became “distressed and highly emotional”.
He repeatedly told police officers: "I’ve been an idiot."
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