A 54-year-old downloaded hundreds of child sexual abuse photos after his health took a “turn for the worse” and he moved from the US to his elderly parents’ home in Fife.
Craig Scotland, of Townhill, Dunfermline, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to two offences.
Between December 12 2021 and August 28 last year at his home or elsewhere he possessed and “did take or permit to be taken or make” indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.
The court heard previously police received information about indecent images of children being accessed at Scotland’s home address and the property was searched in late August 2024.
He had already left for work and his elderly parents answered the door and allowed officers entry.
Various devices belonging to Scotland containing the vile material were seized and he was arrested at his work.
There were 307 indecent images recovered from three different tablet or laptop devices. Of these, two were of the most graphic category A kind and the rest were rated category C.
The court heard a further 163 images were found on a hard drive but these were most likely moved there from another device, with the majority of images copies of those found on a laptop.
Move from America
Speaking in mitigation, defence lawyer Alexandra Philp highlighted this is Scotland’s first offence and he has accepted responsibility.
The solicitor said: “His life took a turn for the worse when he lost his wife in 2019.
“They were living together in America. She tragically passed away and he moved back to Scotland, moving back with his parents (aged in their 80s) due to financial troubles and is now looking after them.”
Ms Philp said Scotland says his physical and mental health “took a turn for the worse as a result of the move and changed lifestyle, which may have resulted in the charges he pled guilty to.”
The lawyer said Scotland has been trying to discuss matters with a counsellor to “get to the bottom of it”.
Ms Philp said Scotland was working at Sky but has now lost that job due to his offending.
Sheriff James Williamson followed a social work recommendation in sentencing Scotland to three years of offender supervision as part of a community payback order.
He must undertake the Moving Forward to Change programme to address sexual offending and comply with restrictions including having no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16 unless he gets prior approval from his supervising officer.
Scotland was also put on the sex offenders register for three years.
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