AARON SANDERS FROM DALGUISE PERTHSHIRE CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AT OUTDOOR CAMP

In February 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Aaron Sanders, a 21-year-old man with connections to Dalguise in Perthshire, who was found in possession of a horrifying collection of child abuse images. Sanders, who had worked at the Dalguise outdoor activity centre—an establishment renowned for hosting school groups and youth outdoor activities—was identified as the second individual associated with the centre to be caught with such illegal material.

Dalguise, once famously associated with the author Beatrix Potter, is operated by PGL Travel and serves as a popular destination for school trips involving children aged seven to sixteen. The centre’s reputation was marred when Sanders’ illicit activities came to light. His collection of images, which included scenes depicting toddlers being subjected to sexual abuse, was discovered when he lent his laptop to colleagues, inadvertently exposing the disturbing content.

The images, according to experts who examined them, were among the most severe and disturbing they had ever encountered. The Perth Sheriff Court was informed of the details during the proceedings, revealing the extent of Sanders’ illegal activities. The authorities confirmed that the collection contained explicit material involving very young children, including scenes of rape involving toddlers.

During the court hearing, it was disclosed that Sanders had actively downloaded these images using search terms such as “14-year-old Russian girls” and “pregnant 13-year-old,” indicating a disturbing interest in underage victims. The court was told that Sanders had attempted to conceal his activities by deleting the files from his computer, but the evidence was already in the hands of investigators.

In his defence, John McLaughlin, representing Sanders, stated that the young man, originally from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, had been attempting to search for adult pornography and claimed that the images in question had been downloaded and subsequently deleted. McLaughlin emphasized that Sanders had no genuine interest in child abuse material but acknowledged that he bore responsibility for possessing the illegal images.

As part of his sentencing, Sanders was placed under supervision for a period of three years through a community payback order. Additionally, he was ordered to attend sex offender group work sessions, reflecting the seriousness of his offences.

In a related context, the PGL Travel company, which operates the Dalguise centre, issued a statement asserting that they had followed all proper procedures regarding safeguarding and child protection. They emphasized their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of children in their care.

Historically, Dalguise had previously been associated with another criminal case involving a staff member. In 2010, PGL team leader Mathew Faulds was sentenced to a year in jail after being caught with child pornography at the same centre. Faulds, aged 26 from Dundee, admitted to possessing the illegal material and claimed he believed he had deleted it before arriving at Dalguise. His case underscored ongoing concerns about safeguarding at the facility and the importance of rigorous checks and procedures to prevent such incidents.