A man who committed sex offences against 28 underage girls has avoided a prison sentence due to his “previous good character and young age”.

George Low coerced schoolgirls – aged 13 to 16 – to view footage of him performing sex acts before threatening those who refused to reciprocate.

He targeted them over a three-year period on social media websites such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.

Low was released from detention on Tuesday after spending the equivalent of a 30-month sentence on remand.

He was made subject to intense social work supervision for three years and told his name would remain on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

The sheriff chose not to impose a prison sentence despite warning the defendant that he remained at “very high risk of reoffending”.

Low’s last offence targeted a 13-year-old girl while he was on bail for earlier offences.

Passing sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court, Sheriff Jane Farquharson told Low he had accepted responsibility for indecently coercing young girls into looking at sexual images.

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