Scots Snapchat sex beast jailed for vile messages to 11-year-old girl he tried to meet

A paedophile who sent highly sexualised messages to a Scottish schoolgirl and tried to meet her for sex was jailed for the offences today.

Scott Barr targeted the youngster, who was aged 11 at the time, on Snapchat and WhatsApp.

He asked her to send him pictures of herself, praised her for her looks and told her he was performing sex acts on himself.

The 35-year-old's victim, of Renfrewshire, was left so traumatised by his abuse that she began to self harm with a knife.

The abuse and her injuries only came to light when her parents got hold of her phone and discovered the filth Barr had been sending her.

And they were praised as "doting and concerned parents" when Barr was slammed for his crimes as he was sentenced at Paisley Sheriff Court.

He had been convicted last month, pleading guilty during a trial, and returned to the dock today, Monay, January 5, 2026, to be sentenced.

Sherif Eoin McGinty was told that Barr was a cocaine addict who had used his time in custody to get sober.

And the dad-of-three, of Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, was said to know his offences are "disgusting" and knew he would be jailed.

As he sentenced Barr to 23 months in prison, Sheriff McGinty said: "The complainer was 11 years old.

"The sexual content of the messages escalated quickly and significantly. 

"The child in question was harmed and traumatised to the point that she engaged in self-harm, particularly where she self-harmed with a knife.

"Her obviously doting and concerned parents noticed a change in her, which brought these messages to an end.

"I do consider the only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment."

The 23-month jail term was comprised of 18 months for the sex offences and five months for skipping bail and causing the case to stall.

He also placed Barr, who was living in Newmilns, East Ayrshire at the time of the offences, on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for three years.

The order places a number of conditions on him, including being banned from having contact with under 16s.

He is also banned from deleting his internet and phone log histories and has to give his usernames and passwords to police.

He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and made the subject of a 10-year Non-Harassment Order, which bans him from having any contact with his victim.

The offences were carried out in April 2023.

Barr admitted breaching Sections 23 and 24 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 - causing a young child to look at a sexual image and communicating indecently with a young child.