A PRESTONPANS truck driver who fondled and kissed a 10-year-old girl told her: “I’ll go to jail if you tell as I’m too old."

John Boyd sexually assaulted the youngster by kissing her on the mouth and fondling her buttocks when he visited her family home in Midlothian last year.

Boyd, of Drummohr Drive, also sent the girl scores of text and WhatsApp messages declaring his love for her and telling her she was “beautiful”.

Serial offender Boyd, 54, told the girl that he wanted to take her on dates to the cinema and for her to pretend she was his girlfriend during the online chats.

The HGV driver, who has two previous convictions for similar offences, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and communicating indecently with the girl when he appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Tuesday).

Sheriff John Mundy said: “This is a serious matter and all options will be open to the court on disposal.”

The sheriff placed Boyd on the sex offenders' register for a term still to be decided and deferred sentence to next month for reports and a risk assessment to be prepared.

Prosecutor Anna Robertson told the court that the girl and her mother were family friends of Boyd and his wife, and he began communicating with the youngster after asking for her phone number.

The father-of-two then sent the girl messages between June and August last year stating he wanted to take her out on dates and that she should “get her hair and make up done” beforehand.

Boyd would tell the girl “you look beautiful” after she sent him some pictures of herself and on one occasion he said: “I am in bed dreaming of you.”

Boyd’s messages to the girl also read “I love your lips – they are so kissable” and “I can’t wait to see you again to hold you in my arms”.

And during a visit to her home in August last year, Boyd enticed the girl upstairs to her bedroom where he lifted her off the ground.

He then squeezed her buttocks, gave her “a long, long kiss” on the mouth and neck, and sucked on her bottom lip.

Ms Robertson added: “The accused told the complainer she was a good kisser and then said: ‘I will go to jail if you tell as I’m too old.’”

After Boyd left the home, the terrified girl broke down in tears and confessed to her mother what had happened while the pair had been alone and the police were called in.

Police officers were shown the sexual messages Boyd had sent to the 10-year-old girl’s phone and he was arrested at about 3am on August 6 last year.

Solicitor Jim Stephenson said that his client had two previous convictions for similar offences dating back 20 years.

Mr Stephenson said: “My Lord will be concerned by his previous convictions but they are of some age and they were dealt with by way of a community-based disposal.”

The lawyer added that Boyd had worked as a lorry driver with the same firm for the past 15 years and that he had not yet been suspended, despite his bosses being aware of the case.

Boyd pleaded guilty to sending written sexual communication to a 10-year-old girl for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification and stating he would like to kiss her and touch her, asking her to send him photographs of herself, referring to taking her on holiday and making reference to her as his girlfriend at an address in Midlothian between June 28 and August 5 last year.

He also admitted sexually assaulting the girl by placing his arms around her, lifting her body off the ground, squeezing her buttocks and repeatedly kissing her on the mouth and sucking her bottom lip at the same address on August 5 last year.