Sent to prison for sick haul of photos


A Perthshire paedophile, caught with a mountain of sick child abuse videos and photographs, was jailed for 24 months when he appeared for sentence this week.
The court was told that acting on a tip-off, police seized almost 20,000 vile photos, as well as nearly 1800 videos featuring child abuse images when they raided 61-year-old Ian King’s home at Thistledome, Moray Street, Blackford.
The accused, who was so traumatised following the raid that he spent more than a month in hospital recovering, also had his name added to the sex offenders’ register for five years.
Officers, who were armed with search warrants, also discovered a cannabis farm – and took possession of almost £7000 worth of the drug.
First offender Ian King admitted that between June 15 and November 11, 2017, he took, or permitted to be taken – or made – indecent photographs of children at his home.
He also pled guilty to a second charge of being in possession of the indecent material at his house between June 15, 2017, and February 6, 2018.
He further admitted a third charge of producing cannabis at Thistledome on February 6, 2018.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie told the court that “intelligence” was received by Police Scotland that there may be indecent images of children at his address and a search warrant was granted.
Police went to his home on the morning of January 6 and when told about the nature of the warrant he seemed “visibly upset.”
The fiscal added: “He was told there would be a full search carried out and he told police: ‘I grow some plant upstairs – it’s just personal.’”
A number of items were removed by police from within a bedroom, including a tent, four cannabis plants and boxes of dried cannabis. The search was stopped at that point and a further search warrant was obtained.
A number of computer items were subsequently seized, including a laptop, a hard drive, a quantity of memory sticks, a computer tower and an external hard drive cable.
Officers also found in other bedrooms further boxes containing cannabis, as well as further drugs paraphernalia, including plant pots, lights, power packs, plant food, trays and fans.
An examination of the computer equipment by the cyber crime team revealed the images, of which 2302 were category A, the most depraved.
Solicitor David Holmes said that his client was “so shocked” when he was arrested that he was admitted to hospital suffering from “acute stress reaction.”
The sheriff granted a Crown motion to forfeit the drugs, equipment and still images, along with the videos
December 2018
Huge haul of sick photos found in raid
Acting on a tip-off, police seized almost 20,000 sick child abuse images – and nearly 1800 videos – when they raided a Perthshire man’s home.
Officers, who were armed with search warrants, also took possession of more than 450 grammes of cannabis with a maximum black market value of just under £7000.
First offender Ian King had been growing the Class B drug for his own use at his home in Thistledome, Moray Street, Blackford.
Perth Sheriff Court was told the 61-year-old was so traumatised after police turned up on his doorstep that he subsequently spent more than a month in hospital.
He will be sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court on January 30 after background reports have been prepared.
His bail was continued meantime and his name was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register after he appeared on indictment.
He admitted that between June 15 and November 11, 2017, he took, or permitted to be taken – or made – indecent photographs of children at his home.
He also pled guilty to a second charge of being in possession of the indecent material at his house between June 15, 2017, and February 6, 2018.
He further admitted a third charge of producing cannabis at Thistledome on February 6 this year.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie told the court that “intelligence” was received by Police Scotland that there may be indecent images of children at his address and a search warrant was granted.
Police went to his home on the morning of January 6 this year and when told about the nature of the warrant he seemed “visibly upset.”
The fiscal added: “He was told there would be a full search carried out and he told police: ‘I grow some plant upstairs – it’s just personal.’”
A number of items were removed by police from within a bedroom, including a tent, four cannabis plants and boxes of dried cannabis.
The search was stopped at that point and a further search warrant was obtained.
A number of computer items were subsequently seized, including a laptop, a hard drive, a quantity of memory sticks, a computer tower and an external hard drive cable.
Officers also found in other bedrooms further boxes containing cannabis, as well as further drugs paraphernalia, including plant pots, lights, power packs, plant food, trays and fans.
King was arrested about 9.30am that morning and taken to Perth Police HQ where the “usual procedures” were carried out.
An examination of the computer equipment by the Cyber Crime Team revealed the following number of still images:
Category A, the most depraved – 2302; Category B – 2659; Category C – 14,813.
The videos were classified as follows: Category A – 675; Category B – 990; Category C – 121.
Ms Gillespie added: “The total amount of usable cannabis recovered was about 462 grammes.”
Drugs officers didn’t “demur” from the accused’s suggestion that it could have been for his personal use.
It could have been sold on the black market for between £4630 and £6945.
Solicitor David Holmes said that his client was “so shocked” when he was arrested that he was admitted to hospital suffering from “acute stress reaction.”
He was detained for observation for six weeks.
That included time spent in Carseview, Dundee.
The lawyer explained that the accused also suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, which affects his breathing) and had to give up work in 2016.
Sheriff William Wood ordered a Community Justice Social Work report, as well as an assessment by the Tay Project which aims to rehabilitate sex offenders.
The time King’s name spends on
the sex register will be decided next month.
A Crown motion to forfeit the drugs, equipment and still images, along with the videos, was continued to January 30.