A dangerous paedophile could face a lifelong restriction because he is such a threat to the community.

John Scott has pleaded guilty to more charges of messaging "young girls" less than five years after his last conviction for that.

And he did it on a secret phone while under a court order to prevent sexual harm to others.

Now a sheriff has warned the 54-year-old might need to be sent to the High Court for a potential order for lifelong restriction, meaning he would be subject to risk management for the rest of his life.

In October 2020, Scott, then of Bedford Avenue, Clydebank, was put under social work supervision for three years and ordered to do unpaid work in the community.

He was put on the sex offenders register for three years, but the sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) for five years. That included inspections of any devices, saving browsing history for examination and other measures.

The pervert had pleaded guilty to sending messages to a girl he thought was aged 14, but was in fact a decoy - a crime he has now repeated three more times.

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He pleaded guilty on August 6 to messaging an adult pretending to be a 14-year-old with sexual communications and attempting to communicate indecently with a child on February 21 this year.

On various dates between February 21 and March 2, he did the same with someone pretending to be 12.

And on February 29, he did the same with someone pretending to be 13.

He further admitted to breaking the SOPO.

All offences took place at a flat in Burnside Court, Clydebank, and elsewhere.

Fiscal depute Rebecca Reid told the court that members of an online group had created profiles for fake "decoy" children.

The volunteers put clearly on them their dates of birth, and in all conversations with Scott, they first repeated their supposed ages with any interactions.

But the man kept going regardless.

With three such profiles, one supposedly a 14-year-old girl, one aged 13 and one aged 12, he sent sexual messages for his own gratification.

In the case of the adult pretending to be aged 14, they got a friend request on Facebook from Scott. There was sexual communication and the man sent his profile picture. Messages then moved to WhatsApp.

The man asked the decoy if she was "doing anything naughty" and if she was a virgin, amongst other explicit messages.

"I will teach you if you like," he told the person.

With the 12-year-old decoy, there was a friend request before Scott blocked the account. He then unblocked it and asked to message them.

He told the supposed child, "I have been very horny today" and "do you want to be naughty?"

The sexual messages continued and there were also voice notes and he wanted to call her and for her to play with herself during that call.

Again, the messages moved to WhatsApp and he asked for photos.

One phone call he made lasted 4 minutes and 17 seconds.

In the third crime, the profile stated she was 13 on her first message with Scott. He claimed he was 41 and lived in London, and he wanted to speak about sex.

He said: "I would go out with you if I were your age."

When the decoy provided a WhatsApp number, they again told the man they were 13. Scott tried to call.

He asked the adult pretending to be a child if they wanted to "play".

When police later attended at Scott's home, they found two mobile phones - one of which he was not allowed to have.

When interviewed by officers, he "spoke freely and made admissions of sending messages for sexual gratification", said the prosecutor.

Sheriff William Gallacher said: "The actions of the accused in the face of restrictions already in place ... leads me to have considerable concern of the risk he might present.

"Should I be considering an order for lifelong restriction given the risk he quite clearly, deliberately, does pose to the community?

"I don't close my mind to the face I will not sentence Mr Scott."

Turning to the accused, the sheriff said: "Your behaviour was persistent, deliberately done for gratification in circumstances where you ought to have been restricted."

He said Scott's actions were "absolutely despicable".

Though the inevitable jail sentence would be lengthy, the sheriff added: "I have not closed my mind to whether to send you to the High Court to consider an order for lifelong restriction."

He will return to court next month.