A STALKER who set up fake social media profiles to spy on his former partner avoided a prison sentence last week.

David McKee carried out a twisted campaign against his ex-girlfriend for more than a month which also included claiming the woman had abused a child.

The horrific details were revealed when McKee appeared for sentencing at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday, July 25.

Fiscal depute Colette Fallon told the court previously that the 38-year-old and the complainer split up in November last year, following a two-year relationship.

Then, on January 14, she set up a profile on the dating website Plenty of Fish to find a new partner.

That day she contacted a man on the site called John Saunders – who was actually McKee posing as someone else.

Bizarrely, McKee also messaged the woman from his own Plenty of Fish account not long after.

However, she proceeded to block her ex from contacting her on the site.

A few days later on January 17, the woman discovered her Plenty of Fish account had been deactivated, and subsequently learned it had been hacked.

However, McKee then messaged her on Instagram as John Saunders and the pair made plans to meet up.

But McKee repeatedly found excuses to put off the date.

Ms Fallon said: "Thereafter she received a lengthy text from a person identifying themselves as John, stating [his] profile was false.

"It did make mention of having contact with her ex-partner, the accused. The complainer went on to receive a number of texts described as abusive.

"They also suggested her activities online and her movements were being monitored."

The complainer contacted the police out of fear for her own safety, but McKee continued to pester her.

He posted her a handwritten letter, before then duping her into sending him an intimate photo on Snapchat by posing as one of her friends between February 6-7.

Then on February 18, the woman received an email which appeared to come from Clackmannanshire Council.

It stated that a man called John Saunders had contacted them and alleged she had been abusing her child.

Ms Fallon said: "The complainer thereafter received another email from the same address, stating: 'Do you want to play a game of guess who? You ask anything and I'll tell you.'"

Terrified, the woman contacted the police again, which led to McKee being arrested and his devices seized.

In court on Thursday, Sheriff Pino Di Emidio told McKee, of Hareburn Road, Tillicoultry, that his behaviour was “very worrying”.

Despite insisting his crimes warranted jail time, the sheriff sentenced the stalker to 200 hours of unpaid work and two years of supervision.

He also ordered McKee to undertake the Caledonian Men’s Programme.