A sick Scottish archer who set up a camera to spy on young women in their swimwear was spared jail because it would place a “burden” on the prison service as he has so many different illnesses.
Karl Paddon, 58, installed the equipment, normally used to monitor his dogs, at his seafront bungalow in Leven, Fife.
A court heard he knew the young women, in their twenties, would be using his jacuzzi when he was out.
Images of them in swimming costumes and “swimming underwear”, recorded in April 2018, were found on his phone when police raided his home on the Promenade in Leven.
They were acting on information his IP address had been used to download child abuse material.
As well as the jacuzzi footage, they found more than 1000 indecent pictures of children – 124 in the most serious category – on his laptop and iPad.
Paddon was listed as having clinched Scottish records for American and American Double archery target-shooting in July 2013.
Prosecutor Michael Maguire said his client had deliberately set up the spy camera to film the women “for some kind of sick kick”.
Password excuse
Giving evidence during a five-day trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court last month, one of the abused women became visibly upset in the witness box when shown one of the recordings of her.
Paddon denied the charges and said in evidence others had access to his password-protected equipment and he had no idea there was illegal material on his devices.
However, forensic analysis showed at one point an archery picture of Paddon’s had been downloaded the same day as some of the illegal material, a fact the Crown said pointed to Paddon having control of the laptop that day.
The court heard the police raid was on October 31, 2019.
Some of the images were downloaded as far back as November 2015, not only in Leven but also at a time when Paddon was living at a previous address in Thurso, Caithness, where he originally bought the laptop.
The machine’s search history revealed websites it had been used to visit had titles including “Lolitas”, “Paedo Porno Exclusives” and “Only Small Baby”.
Jurors found Paddon, a former photo-printer, guilty of voyeurism and possessing and downloading child abuse material.
Prison medication danger
When he appeared for sentence on Wednesday defence counsel Jonathan Crowe said Paddon suffered from “a plethora of medical difficulties” and if he was jailed other prisoners might covet his medication.
“I have a medical report prepared by his GP, confirming that Mr Paddon suffers from anxiety, depression, asthma, reflux, oesophagitis, chronic back pain, ischemic colitis and peripheral neuropathy.
“Cardiology has been prominent, acutely recently.
“There is what is perceived to be a risk to Mr Paddon within a custodial setting given the various medications he is on.
“His medication is quite highly regarded in a prison setting as being used potentially by others as illicit prescribed medication.
“He would do absolutely anything to avoid going to custody.”
Prison term under ‘normal’ circumstances
Sheriff William Gilchrist placed Paddon under social work supervision for three years, and on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.
He ordered him to attend supervision sessions, imposed a string of restrictions on his use of technology, and banned him from having contact with children under 16.
The sheriff said: “What you were convicted of would in normal circumstances require the court to consider a custodial sentence.
“I’m not going to do that in your case for a number of reasons.
“You’re effectively a first offender [and] your extremely serious medical condition would be a burden on the prison service.
“I’m satisfied that what your behaviour requires is intervention.”
