An Ardrossan man has been added to the sex offenders register after being caught in a vigilante group 'sting'.

David Paterson pleaded guilty to a pair of charges when he appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week.

The 69-year-old, of Knockrivoch Gardens, admitted to being in possession of indecent photographs, or pseudo photographs, of children.

This charge relates to a nearly 20-month period from November 24, 2020, to July 23, 2022, at both his home address and elsewhere.

Court documents also detail a further charge of communicating indecently with a person he believed to be under the age of 16.

Papers state that, between May 15 and June 12, in 2022, Paterson sent messages to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old child.

They add the 69-year-old did so for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification or humiliating, distressing or alarming the 'child' - who he sent explicit photographs.

However, the person Paterson was communicating with was, in reality, an adult pretending to be a child.

He was initially arrested in Ardrossan in July 2022 following the 'sting' operation by a so-called paedophile hunter vigilante group.

A video of Paterson being confronted by the group circulated online following the incident.

Sentencing has been deferred until a later date. Paterson has been granted bail until then but has been added to the sex offenders register.

The period of time he spends on the register will be determined at sentencing.