A persistent sex offender who moved to Perth after being deported from the US was twice caught with hundreds of child abuse and bestiality images.
Jeffrey Van Dyk was jailed for more than seven years in 2008 after police in California uncovered his illicit stash of obscene photos and videos.
He was expelled to the UK after his release and landed a job as sous chef at a Stirlingshire restaurant, without telling bosses about his conviction.
When officers carried out a routine check at his flat in Perth’s Balgowan Road in November last year, they found illicit files on his games console and mobile phone.
After his arrest, a follow-up visit was carried out in March.
This time, officers uncovered even more sickening images on Van Dyk’s phone.
Perth Sheriff Court heard, after being sacked from his job, the 41-year-old spent “several hours a day” during lockdown looking at abuse images.
As the days went on, his tastes grew darker and more extreme, his solicitor said.
No shame or remorse
Sheriff William Wood told Van Dyk: “You don’t seem to have any awareness of the damage that has been done to someone or some animal so that you can view these images.
“The viewing and downloading of these images is just part of the process of child sexual abuse.
“Each photograph represents the abuse of the child depicted.
“When you are accessing these images on the internet, you are responsible for this abuse because you are creating demand for this material.”
Sheriff Wood said: “You are not ashamed, you are not remorseful and you seem indifferent to the consequences of your conduct.
“I am satisfied that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
Van Dyk, listed as a prisoner in Perth, was jailed for 36 months.
MAPPA inspection
Fiscal depute Nicole Lewis told the court Dyk is a registered sex offender and is managed under MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) aimed at preventing further offending.
“He was convicted of possession of indecent images of children in California, USA, in 2008.
“He was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
“He was deported to the UK following his release.”
Ms Lewis said: “At 7.30pm on November 5, 2020, police carried out a routine, unannounced visit to the accused’s address.
“The accused, who lives alone at the property, let them in without issue.
“As is routine, permission was requested and granted to examine his mobile phone.
“During the visit, the accused’s level of sexual preoccupation was discussed and this raised concerns.”
Suspicions raised by chat screenshot
The court heard that in a “recently deleted” folder on Van Dyk’s phone, officers saw a screenshot of a chat.
“It appeared to show a video which was sexual in nature and involved a child.”
The phone was seized and a search warrant was obtained for the flat.
Later that night, a black iPhone and an X-Box 360 were taken from the property.
Ms Lewis said that more than 200 indecent images and one video were found across the devices.
Of the files found, 44 were described as at the most obscene level.
Van Dyk was arrested and released on an undertaking to appear at a later date at Perth Sheriff Court.
After the hearing, Van Dyk was released with special bail conditions.
Second police visit
Ms Lewis told the court: “On Wednesday, March 17, officers carried out another routine visit to the accused’s home.
“During an inspection of the accused’s mobile phone, police found a file-sharing application.
“The app had a folder entitled ‘games’.
“Inside, there was video file which appeared to be sexual in nature but the age of the female involved was unclear.”
Ms Lewis said the phone was seized and 303 indecent images of children and extreme pornography were found on the device.
“There were 34 still images and 68 videos identified as extreme pornography.
“They depicted bestiality involving various animals including horses and dogs.”
Van Dyk was arrested again in May and appeared at court the following day.
He has been remanded in custody since.
Isolated in lockdown
He admitted on various occasions between January 5, 2018, and March 17, 20201, he downloaded indecent images of children at his flat in Perth’s Letham area.
He further admitted possession extreme pornographic images depicting bestiality with various animals, between December 27, 2020 and March 17.
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said: “Mr Van Dyk lost his employment in 2018 when his employers found out about his previous conviction.
“He found himself unemployed during lockdown 2020.
“He had a great deal of time on his hands and he returned to viewing images for several hours per day.
“The pornography he was viewing became more and more extreme.”
Ms Cullerton said her client was “under no illusion” that he was likely to be jailed.
