Former IT boss at Dounreay snared by police after sending sex texts to underage girls

A sheriff heard on Tuesday how the former head of IT at Dounreay was trapped in a sting operation by police who exposed him as a serial sex offender.

Martin Bridge (45) admitted four charges of sending sexual messages online to what he thought were girls as young as 12.

He will be sentenced next month and could face a jail term.

Wick Sheriff Court was told that the offences occurred between November 2022 and February 2023.

Bridge sent the messages via his Snapchat profile believing that a 13-year-old girl was receiving them – but undercover police officers were seeing them having responded, initially, to an indecent message from Bridge.

Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said that in one series of messages, over several days, Bridge described sex acts and encouraged a 13-year-old to provide him with nude images of herself and engage in sexual activity.

Bridge also sent her videos of a male engaged in a sex act.

On another occasion, the accused sent messages to a 12-year-old girl. One said: “I’m experienced... I know how to please a girl.”

Another stated: “Just wondered if you wanted to be naughty with me” and a third ran: “I kinda wanna do more than just chat, like naughty stuff.”

A further message ran: “I’m thinking about you in a swimming costume, it depends if you’re gonna show me more.”

Mr McLennan continued: “During this conversation, Bridge said he had a hot tub at his home.”

Police went to that address, at Scrabster, with a search warrant and were admitted by Bridge's wife. Bridge was at work at Dounreay at the time.

The Civil Nuclear Constabulary was requested to trace the accused on the site and arrest him on suspicion of communicating indecently with a child. A few minutes later Bridge was handed over to the civil police along with devices that had been seized.

Mr McLennan said: “He was asked to provide the PINS and passwords for the devices but declined to do so.”

The accused gave “no comment” responses to questions put to him during an interview, following which he was charged.

Sheriff Neil Wilson continued the case for a background report.

The sheriff described the offences as “very serious indeed” and warned Bridge that all sentencing options would be open to the court.

The accused was temporarily placed on the Sex Offender’s Register, with the term to be determined when he returns to court on September 3.

Bridge was said to be now living in Aberdeen.