Edinburgh crime: Fountainbridge man tried to meet up with 'schoolboy' who turned out to be undercover officer

Edinburgh pervert who tried to meet 13-year-old boy given community order

An Edinburgh man who targeted a ‘schoolboy’ by sending him explicit bondage photos was caught after his victim turned out to be an undercover police officer. Spirit Traum was the administrator of a street hockey Facebook page when he began sending sexual messages to “13-year-old Josh’ who was a member of the group.

The 22-year-old sent explicit photos and videos of himself as well as obscene messages to the boy’s social media account over a week long period in September 2021. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the youngster was actually an undercover police officer tasked with catching online perverts by setting up fake social media accounts. Police arrested the predator just hours after he tried to arrange to meet ‘Josh’ near to his Edinburgh home.

Traum pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to communicate indecently with an older child and attempting to meet someone he believed was an older child with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity at a court hearing last month. He returned to the dock for sentencing on Monday, April 24, where a sheriff issued a conduct requirement whereby he is banned him from having any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 17. Sheriff Christopher Dickson also placed Traum on the Sex Offenders Register for three years and on a supervision order for the same length of time. Traum, of the Fountainbridge area, was also ordered to carry out to 150 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Spirit Traum outside court in Edinburgh

Attempted murder investigation after machete attack in Edinburgh street

Defence agent Mary Moultrie said her client suffered from “difficulties with a lack of social boundaries” and that his home had been attacked following previous press coverage of the case. Previously the court heard the undercover officer sent a request under the guise of ‘Josh’ to join a Facebook group on street hockey where Traum was one of the administrators. Traum began sending explicit images to Josh over the course of seven days and stated he was the person in the photos including one image where he was naked and tied up.

Fiscal depute Alan Wickham said the accused was “regularly reminded” the boy he was chatting to was only 13 but continued to bombard the lad with requests including asking if he was “smooth or hairy”. Mr Wickham said Traum continued to send explicit images and videos and asked for nudes of Josh to be sent in return. The court was told Traum then attempted to meet up with the boy to play hockey but had also told him “you might get f****ed after”.

Traum admitted to attempting to communicate indecently with an older child and attempting to meet someone he believed was an older child with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity on September 28, 2021.

US fugitive accused of rape fails to appear at Edinburgh court after ‘altercation’