THE investigation into a vile paedophile is not over, a police chief has confirmed.

Despite Sean McCuaig, 22, admitting blackmailing a number of schoolgirls into sending sexually explicit pictures and videos, a top cop believes there are more victims out there.

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Taylor, who leads the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Just because he has pled guilty does not mean that we stop.

“There are definitely more victims out there and we encourage people to come forward – not just in relation to McCuaig, but if you are experiencing any concerns about online activity to contact the police, to contact CEOP [Child Exploitation and Online Protection command] or tell somebody.”

As reported by the Evening Times previously, McCuaig targeted nine girls – aged between 12 and 17 – on social media using a string of fake profiles.

The pervert would send the girls fake nude photos with their faces superimposed on them and then demand that they send the real deal or else he would post the fakes onto their Facebook pages for all to see. On one occasion he carried out his threat. He also threatened to harm some of his victims' families if they didn't send him snaps.

When eventually arrested, police recovered a document in which McCuaig detailed fantasies of abducting, raping, humiliating and killing one of the girls.

The accused, from Keal Avenue in Knightswood, pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to 20 charges spanning from January 2016 to June 2017.

Read more: Paedophile Sean McCuaig jailed for three years for blackmailing girls

Returning to court today, McCuaig was sentenced to three years in jail with an additional three years on licence. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

The intensive and technically complicated investigation began when one of his young victims contacted CEOP to report being blackmailed. Because of her courage, the police were able to link McCuaig to another case.

DCI Taylor stated: “She contacted CEOP to report concerns about contact that she was having from somebody online and as a result of that, that then set in a process where we were able to act on that information and identify Sean McCuaig.

“We were effectively able to piece the jigsaw together and come up that Sean McCuaig was involved in both cases, so if it wasn’t for her bravery in coming forward and having the confidence to do that we may never have known and be able to join the two cases together.”

The National Child Abuse Investigation Unit works closely with the cyber crime division and external sources to help identify victims and interview perpetrators.

In respect to the McCuaig case, DCI Taylor noted: “Without the help of social work and education in this place we may not have been able to identify more victims.”

DCI Taylor believes it is absolutely necessary for young people to have access to services like CEOP.

She added: “Young people use the internet; that’s a way of life for them, and they have to be able to be safe online and have the confidence to be able to tell somebody that something isn’t right.

“More often than not people use the internet to coerce activity and behaviour to bully people, to threaten people, especially children and young people around about, whether it’s exploitation, asking them or forcing them to commit sexual acts or to send indecent images.

“So there’s a real power imbalance and they don’t know who they’re talking to. So they may think they are speaking to a friend but they’re not speaking to a friend. So as soon as they identify that something isn’t quite right, they need to be able to tell somebody.

“There is that growing confidence about empowering young people to take those next steps and say ‘stop, I’m reporting you, I’m telling somebody because this isn’t right’. And I think that message is getting across and it’s important that offenders understand that. They can’t operate thinking that they’re not going to get caught because they are and that’s because of the power and confidence young people now have to say enough is enough.”

Detective Inspector Andy McWilliam, head of the Cyber Crime Unit (West), who helped work on the McCuaig case, had a message for any online abuser.

He told the Evening Times: “There’s no longer any hiding place. You may think you are being anonymous, but we now have the capability and resources to forensically find that evidence and to find you.”