A MAN has appeared in court accused of sending indecent messages to a girl and asking her to send him a picture.

Robert Harrison, 58, was granted bail after pleading not guilty to the allegation when he appeared in Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week [June 8] 

It’s claimed he intentionally sent a series of messages to the girl aged under the age of 13 - for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming the child. 

Court papers allege that he asked the girl about what she was wearing, as well as about her changing her clothes, and that he asked her to send him a picture.  

Mr Harrison, who was represented by defence solicitor Peter Murray, pleaded not guilty to the single charge on the complaint when he appeared in court on an undertaking. 

The former Beith resident, now of Alexander Avenue, Largs, was granted bail under standard conditions - including not to interfere with the course of justice, speak to the complainer and two named witnesses. 

Sheriff Murdo MacTaggart said: “Mr Harrison, I’m granting bail and you will be given dates to come back to court in a moment.  

“Bail has conditions attached that you do not interfere with the course of justice or with witnesses. You must not speak to any witness suggesting they say something or don’t say something. 

“You will be prohibited from any unsupervised contact of any kind with children under the age of 16, unless inadvertent and unavoidable in daily life.

"You must not use any device unless it has capacity to retain its internet history, and must make it available at the request of officers.

"You must not delete or disguise activity with software.  

“If you breach any of these condition it could amount to a further offence.” 

Dates were set for later in the year for an intermediate diet and for a trial.