A ScotRail worker who was confronted at a station ticket booth after being caught in a paedophile sting is facing jail.
James Gilchrist, 64, struck up a conversation with an online decoy unaware it was an adult pretending to be a youngster. They began exchanging messages but Gilchrist quickly turned the chat towards sex.
Members of a vigilante team traced his home address in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, before tracking him down at work in May last year. They arrived at Blantyre train station and found him selling tickets behind the counter before they live streamed a confrontation online.
When arrested, shamed Gilchrist told officers: “It started with me having normal conversations asking ‘how are you doing?’ then things became more adult. I should have stopped but I didn’t.”
Gilchrist appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted communicating indecently online. Depute fiscal John Coogan said: “Witnesses attended the home address of the accused but upon arrival they were informed he was at work.
“They observed from messages that the accused stated he worked for ScotRail and sold tickets so attended Hamilton railway station and discovered it was closed and thereafter attended Blantyre railway station.
“Upon arrival they observed who they believed to be the accused sitting at the counter and one approached the counter and said ‘James’ to which the accused replied ‘yes’ and he was then asked ‘James Gilchrist’ and he replied ‘yes’.
“The witness then confronted the accused which was recorded on her phone and live streamed on Facebook.”
Sheriff Colin Dunipace deferred sentence on the first offender until next month and continued bail. He warned: “I will continue bail but please be under no illusion that this is a serious matter and the court will be looking at all options.”
Gilchrist was placed on the sex offenders’ register.ScotRail confirmed Gilchrist was no longer employed by them but declined to comment further.
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