Consequences have been devastating for the former board member

Vigilantes ensnared a Scots charity trustee by using a fake 13 year-old decoy to whom he sent naked pictures.  

Scott Howie, 53, a director of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland, resigned his voluntary post after he was charged and subsequently taken to court.

The executive sent pictures of his naked torso to a decoy named Emily – a fake profile created by a Welsh vigilante group.

Howie (pictured above), from Cumbernauld, appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court and admitted communicating indecently with a person he believed to be a child on 11 April last year.

He himself lives with the condition and uses a wheelchair.

Prosecutor Lauren Cole told the court: “The decoy identified herself as being a 13-year-old girl. Howie acknowledged her age and said, ‘You’re very young. I should not be talking to such a young girl. I got excited that you wanted to chat.’

“He asked her to switch the conversation to WhatsApp and provided his phone number. The conversation continued in a sexual manner until 11.15pm that evening. He admitted a male in an online profile photo was him.

“He stated that he knew the person he communicated with was 13 and he should have stopped. The police were then contacted.”

Defence solicitor Ian Smart said Howie had co-operated with the investigation and pleaded guilty at an early stage.

He added: “There are catastrophic consequences for him.”

Sheriff Fergus Thomson deferred sentence on Howie for background reports. Howie, who works as a housing administrator, has been a member of SBH Scotland for more than three decades.

A spokesperson for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland said: “Scott Howie was a volunteer trustee who provided advice as someone affected by spina bifida.

"He no longer has any association with the charity.”