A MANAGER at an Irvine glass factory has been locked up after a jury found him guilty of sending indecent images to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Brian Cox claimed in court that he was a “wind-up merchant” who sent the images to the girl to “troll” the recipient – and insisted he was “seeking to expose scammers” on social media.

But a jury took less than half an hour to find the married engineer guilty on two charges of sending messages for sexual gratification or for the purpose of humiliating, distressing or alarming someone he believed to be a child.

The recipient of the messages was actually a woman, now aged 34.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard Cox, 53, a team leader at the Ardagh Glass plant in the town, contacted the decoy from a social media group called ‘Seek and Expose’ on various occasions between January 10 and 21, 2021, using Chat Hour, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Cox’s trial was told he sent her messages and pictures of himself at his work - as well as lewd images and video from his home.  

The Ladyacre Drive resident denied the allegations, claiming in evidence that he knew the recipient was not a child, but that he sent her the images to “troll” her.

The court heard the engineer initially made contact with the ‘Louise Loves Dance’ profile.

Procurator Fiscal depute Craig Wainwright told the jury Cox wrote: “Hi how are you? I’m Brian love to chat x”, while the decoy said, early in the conversation, “I’m only 14 to be honest.”

Among the seedy messages Cox sent was one saying “I want to see you all the time”, and “You can cuddle into me if you are scared”.

He also told her: “Our factory makes 800,000 bottles in 24 hours. If your mum drinks gin and whisky chances are it’s made here.”

Cox went on to ask her “have you been with a boy before?” and “if you’re curious I can show you stuff”, before stating: “I know you’re only 14, not long to wait. Will your mum get you a car? If you had a car you could come to Scotland haha."  

He added: “Have you seen guys things?” to which the decoy responded: “Only in school in books.”

After asking to send the indecent images, he later wrote: “Do you want to look now”, while the decoy replied: “I don't mind".  

He then wrote: “You okay?”, before the decoy replied: "Yes, just a bit shy.”

The recipient of the messages told the trial she used software to make her face appear younger for use on her social media profile, and that she set her age to 19 on the profile, rather than 14, to avoid being reported.

Defence solicitor Graeme Cunningham told the jury they “might be surprised” that his client “100 per cent accepts sending the photos and video” while still pleading not guilty to the charge.

Giving evidence in his own defence, Cox told the jury: "It was purposefully and wholly to wind people up. I'm not interested in general chit chat.

“I seek out scammers. I'm a wind-up merchant. I find it funny.

"It was to wind the person up. I knew 100 per cent it was not who they said. They had to be in their 20s or early 30s."

Following the jury’s verdict, Sheriff Alistair Watson told Cox: “I know little of your background, but you have been found guilty of a serious, and pretty disgusting, course of behaviour.”

Sentence was deferred for a social work report and ‘restriction of liberty’ assessment, while Cox was remanded in custody until sentencing, with Sheriff Watson saying the step was required “to protect the public”.

Cox, who appeared unaccompanied in court, was also put on the sex offenders register, with the length of time he will remain on the register to be decided when he is sentenced.

A spokesperson for Ardagh Glass told the Times: "We can confirm that we are aware of this recent court ruling.

"This matter in now being dealt with through the appropriate internal procedures, so we are unable to comment further at this time."