Paedo Rangers fan who bombarded ‘girls aged 13 and 14’ with sex messages jailed for two years


A PERVERT who was identified by a Rangers top after he bombarded undercover vigilantes posing as teen girls with sex messages has been jailed for two years.

Mark Armstrong, 48, trawled social media and sent messages on Facebook to girls he thought were aged just 13 and 14. But they were women working undercover to weed out online predators including one group calling themselves Child Protectors Scotland. Armstrong, of Wishaw in Lanarkshire, sent photos of himself posing wearing the blue strip and exchanged disgusting messages with three fake accounts. But was confronted in the street in Coatbridge after speaking to the girls online.He was filmed trying to escape the group and even attempting to jump in a passing car as he tried to flee.

Armstrong appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court and admitted three charges of communicating indecently with a child and one of breaching bail.

He has now been jailed for two years by Sheriff Frank Pieri.

Depute fiscal Agnes Meek told how Armstrong had been seen wearing the same Rangers strip each time he communicated with decoys.
She said: “A Facebook profile was created by an online decoy of a girl who was aged 14 and a friend request was received from Mark Armstrong whose profile picture was a Rangers logo.

“The accused sent a number of messages, asking to kiss her and for her to share his bed, and sent her his mobile number along with a picture of himself wearing a Rangers top.
“He told her he was ok with her being 14, asked to meet her at Coatbridge rail station and told her not to mention it to anyone and asked if she wanted to stay with him.
Meek went on to explain how he had repeated the process with other girls.
She told the court: “The next complainer works with Shadow Hunters and received a friend request from the accused with the same profile picture as before.
“He asked what she was up to and was told she was 14 and asked for a picture to be sent.
“He went on to ask her for her phone number before providing his own and repeatedly asked her to send him a pair of her knickers, he said she shouldn’t tell her mum about this.
“He said she could leave home and kept asking her to move in with him and to check the price of a bus and arranged to meet her at a bus station but not to tell anyone, and he also said he would take her phone so he could tell people she was older.”
Miss Meek added: “He then contacted a profile ran by another group seeking out predators of children, this time a 13-year-old girl who received a friend request from him wearing a blue football top.

The accused started flirting with her and asked if she had a boyfriend before sending numerous messages and told her that he was from Glasgow and wanted to meet her.
The depute fiscal told how cops attended Armstrong’s home following his arrest due to info that he had been travelling around Britain. Amrstrong was asked to provide any devices he had. He told cops he only had one but that it was not capable of accessing the internet. When cops searched the flat and found two concealed mobile phones and an A4 sheet with names of girls on it was found. Sheriff Pieri said there was no alternative but to jail him, adding: “These are extremely serious matters.”
Armstrong was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

January 2019
Paedo Rangers fan who bombarded ‘girls aged 13 and 14’ with sex messages snared after wearing same Gers top

A PERVERT who bombarded undercover vigilantes posing as teenage girls with explicit messages was identified by his Rangers football top.

Mark Armstrong, 48, trawled social media and sent messages on Facebook to girls he thought were aged just 13 and 14.

But they were women working undercover to weed out online predators and Armstrong sent photos of himself posing wearing the blue strip.

Armstrong, of Wishaw, Lanarkshire, was snared by paedophile hunter groups including one calling themselves Shadow Hunters.

He exchanged disgusting messages with three fake accounts but was confronted in the street in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, after speaking to the girls online.

He was filmed trying to escape the group and even attempting to jump in a passing car as he tried to flee.

Armstrong appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court and admitted three charges of communicating indecently with a child and one of breaching bail.

Depute fiscal Agnes Meek told how Armstrong had been seen wearing the same Rangers strip each time he communicated with decoys.

She said: “A Facebook profile was created by an online decoy of a girl who was aged 14 and a friend request was received from Mark Armstrong whose profile picture was a Rangers logo.

“The accused sent a number of messages, asking to kiss her and for her to share his bed, and sent her his mobile number along with a picture of himself wearing a Rangers top.
“He told her he was ok with her being 14, asked to meet her at Coatbridge rail station and told her not to mention it to anyone and asked if she wanted to stay with him.
“The next complainer works with Shadow Hunters and received a friend request from the accused with the same profile picture as before.
“He asked what she was up to and was told she was 14 and asked for a picture to be sent.
“He went on to ask her for her phone number before providing his own and repeatedly asked her to send him a pair of her knickers, he said she shouldn’t tell her mum about this.
“He said she could leave home and kept asking her to move in with him and to check the price of a bus and arranged to meet her at a bus station but not to tell anyone, and he also said he would take her phone so he could tell people she was older.”

Miss Meek added: “He then contacted a profile ran by another group seeking out predators of children, this time a 13-year-old girl who received a friend request from him wearing a blue football top.

“The accused started flirting with her and asked if she had a boyfriend before sending numerous messages and told her that he was from Glasgow and wanted to meet her.
“Following his arrest, police attended his home because of information that he had been travelling around Britain.
“They asked him to provide any devices that he had and he said he only had one but that it was not capable of accessing the internet.
“A search commenced while the accused remained seated on a couch, when that was searched and two concealed mobile phones and an A4 sheet with names of girls on it was found.”
Sheriff Frank Pieri deferred sentence for reports and continued Armstrong’s bail.
He added: “These are extremely serious matters.”
He was placed on the sex offenders register.