A sex predator was found to have accessed a horrifying “manual of how to abuse children and get away with it” on the internet which was so disturbing an experienced police analyst was left feeling nauseous.
Ross Bayley (28) from Perth came under police investigation after a toddler revealed he had been sexually assaulted by him.
Officers recovered computer equipment from his home and found that the Tor browser, which is intended to allow anonymity for online users, had previously been installed on a device.
Advocate depute Steven Borthwick told the High Court in Edinburgh that recovered internet activity revealed the user had viewed a site which offered “detailed and graphic advice and history regarding paedophilia, paedophiles and also provided links to additional internet pages dealing with that subject matter”.
The prosecutor said: “The user has utilised the Tor browser to view deeply concerning material which offers advice regarding how to groom and sexually abuse children.”
Police cyber crime examiners said the material was extensive and amounted to “a manual of how to abuse children and get away with it”.
One of the analysts, who has seven years experience checking computers containing indecent child images, said: “In all my years as an examiner I have never previously encountered documentation such as this.
“The extensive content recovered, which gives instruction and advice in how to groom, prepare and abuse children, in our experience as analysts, is the worst offensive, upsetting, vile documentation we have encountered in the Cyber Crime unit.”
He added: “Subsequently one of the analysts involved, an examiner with nine years’ experience, could not continue reading as the content made them too upset and nauseous.”
A cache of indecent images of children was also recovered from the equipment and evidence was recovered showing the downloading of photos and videos involving the sexual abuse of youngsters.
First offender Bayley was investigated by officers after the parents of a little boy contacted police after the child disclosed that he had carried out a sex act on him.
Unemployed Bayley, formerly of Kinnoull Hill Place, admitted sexually assaulting the boy, then aged two years and 11 months, at a house in his home city on June 8 this year.
He also pled guilty to making indecent images of children between December 5 last year and June 9 this year.
Mr Borthwick said that after earlier being at a house where Bayley was the little boy had unusually asked his father to have a bath before later revealing to his shocked parent what had happened to him.
Police later detained Bayley who told them: “I’m really, really sorry I need help.”
Officers noticed that in his bedroom there was a large number of electronic devices and mobile phones set up on cooling systems and connected to a sophisticated projector and screen.
The advocate depute said a total of 1511 images and four videos containing child abuse images were found with some at the most extreme level.
Defence solicitor advocate Murray Macara QC told the judge that as Bayley had no previous convictions a background report would be required on him and that no motion for bail would be made.
Lady Carmichael deferred sentence and remanded him in custody and placed him on the sex offenders’ register.
The judge said she would continue a Crown motion asking her to consider making a risk assessment order in the case which can lead to the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction on the offender.
