TWO men who posted “sick jokes” online following the death of Alva schoolboy Scott Chiriseri have been given six-months’ supervision.

Liam Rodgerson and John Tallis, both aged 23, appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday (20 August) charged with sending grossly-offensive messages on Facebook just two days after the five-year-old was found dead in his home.

Their comments were of such a disturbing nature that members of the public were cleared from the courtroom when they were detailed to the presiding sheriff last month.

On that day, both Rodgerson, of Hutton Park in Alloa, and Tallis, of Bruce Street, Clackmannan, were placed on the sex offenders’ register and re-appeared last week for sentencing.

The offence was committed on 7 December and the two appeared from custody a few days later.

During Thursday’s hearing, Kelly Howe, defence agent for Rodgerson, described the remarks as “really bad taste jokes” that her client copied from another site.

She said: “The comments were made in complete ignorance of the effect they would have.

“There has been no offending since last December and he is not at a high-risk of re-offending.” Tallis’ solicitor Rober Smith added that the nature of the comments cast “ignorance and stupidity” on his client’s part but he insisted there was no sexual element involved.

However, depute fiscal Iain Batho also said that Crown Office’s sexual offences unit felt there had been a sexual element to the offence when it was carried out.

Sheriff David Mackie took a stern line and said the two had “perpuated material” which mocked serious abuse of young children.

He said: “At the heart of this has been the issue of whether the offence contained a significant sexual element.

“I’m not going to read out in court what you exchanged between yourselves but I will say today that I consider that any reasonable person would view those comments as containing a significant sexual element.

“The comments were wholly-associated with the sexual abuse of children, making light of it, and turning it into sick jokes.” Sheriff Mackie then ordered Rodgerson and Tallis be placed under supervision for the next six months.

They will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for the same time period.