THE mental health of a man charged with grooming a teenage girl for sex is 'suffering quite a lot' due to delays with his prosecution, Greenock Sheriff Court has been told.

Simon Mitchell, 41, is accused of sending indecent messages to a schoolgirl on various occasions during a period spanning nine months, when the alleged victim was aged 14 and 15.

Mitchell induced and attempted to induce the child to send him indecent images of her naked body, prosecutors claim.

It is further alleged that he attempted to induce the girl to touch her private parts.

Court papers claim Mitchell attempted to meet her 'with the intention of engaging, during or after the meeting, in unlawful sexual activity involving said person or in the presence of said person'.

Prosecutors say that he did this after meeting or communicating with the girl 'on at least one earlier occasion' and whilst not reasonably believing that she was aged 16 or over.

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He is accused of committing the alleged offences at a property in Greenock between May 2020 and January 2021.

Defence solicitor Paul Keenan told the latest calling of the long-running case that the court got four days into a previous trial but it had to be deserted because of the complainer's ill health.

Mr Keenan said: "A further adjournment would cause significant difficulty to the accused.

"The case is of some age, it has already proceeded to trial and his mental health is suffering quite a lot.

"It is weighing heavily on his mind right now."

Sheriff Gillian Craig continued Mitchell's bail and scheduled a further pre-trial hearing for June 13.