A FORMER foster carer who was grooming a 14-year-old on the internet was snared when her mother read his vile sexual messages he sent her daughter.

The shocked mum immediately phoned the police, who seized 50-year-old Clifford Warde's phone and found videos of him having sex with an under-age girl.

Yesterday (Tuesday) at the High Court in Glasgow, Warde, from Clackmannanshire, admitted grooming a 14-year-old for sex and sexually abusing another teenage girl.

He committed the offences between November 2014 and March 2016.
First offender Warde worked as a self-employed courier as well as being a foster carer.

Prosecutor Mark McGuire told judge Lord Boyd that the messages sent to the 14-year-old girl were “too graphic” to read in open court.

Mr McGuire said: “The accused initially told the girl she had pretty eyes after she sent him a selfie and gave her a virtual kiss. His conduct moved from the inappropriate to the criminal when he suggested he should come and pick her up and take her for a drive."

The court heard that Warde sent a series of sexually explicit messages to the girl. They were discovered when her mother checked her Facebook usage and she contacted the police immediately.

Warde targeted his other victim when she turned 13. He began by texting graphic messages to her and then progressed to having under-age sex with her.

Mr McGuire said: “The sexual messaging was graphic and explicit. On one occasion, he referred to the girl as 'his horny little schoolgirl'."

The court was told that on a number of occasions, Warde recorded himself having sex with the girl and sexually abusing the girl.

Mr McGuire added: “At no time during this abuse did the accused ever use contraception.”

The girl, when asked about the video recording by police, told them she had felt embarrassed about them being made.

In court, Warde admitted making arrangements for the 14-year-old girl to travel to meet him with the intention of taking part in unlawful sexual activity.

He also pleaded guilty to having under-age sex with the other girl and sending her sexually explicit messages.

Lord Boyd deferred sentence on Warde until December 7 for background reports.

Defence counsel Frances Connor will give her plea in mitigation then.