A retired Fife history teacher caught with photographs depicting women and children being tortured, bound, sexually abused and raped has been sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Police Scotland has welcomed the punishment handed out to Norman Czemerys, 71, who was also added to the sex offenders register at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Czemerys, of Victoria Terrace, Dunfermline, admitted possessing extreme pornographic images depicting the sexual assault and torture of women between March 9 and May 14 last year and taking or permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between September 2011 and May 2019.
Procurator fiscal depute Claire Bremner said that images examined during the investigation were “some of the worst seen” by the analysts.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Banks, from the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Czemerys’ online behaviour was reprehensible with no regard to the young victims depicted in the images he was viewing.
“He believed the internet would provide anonymity and allow him to undertake his offending undetected. This was not the case, and as a result of our enquiries he will now face the consequences of his actions.
“The restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic has prompted a growth in internet use, creating an increased risk of offending online and exposing children to abuse, whether in a private or virtual space.
“Any form of child sexual abuse is a serious criminal offence and is a priority for Police Scotland. We encourage anyone with concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact police immediately.”
Police raided Czemerys’ Dunfermline home in May last year and almost 1,300 images and videos were found on four devices seized from his study, some of them in the worst category.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court previously heard Czemerys had a “morbid fascination” with torture and sadomasochism which spiralled out of control.
Married father-of-two Czemerys, an accomplished artist, was a teacher for 34 years, including at Dunfermline High School, before he retired in June 2006.
Solicitor Stephen Morrison told the court: “Mr Czemerys is deeply ashamed by his behaviour, thoroughly embarrassed and indeed disgusted and repulsed.”
He said Czemerys claimed to have had dark thoughts since adolescence, when he suffered psychological abuse.
