AIDAN KARLEY CAUGHT WITH OVER 1,000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN ABERDEEN AND BRECHIN

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Aberdeen and Brechin, Aidan Karley, a 50-year-old man with ties to both locations, narrowly avoided a custodial sentence after being found in possession of a vast collection of illegal and highly disturbing images involving children.

The offences were committed over an 11-month period, spanning from February 2013 to January 2014, at an address in Danestone, Aberdeen. During this time, police investigations uncovered a significant amount of illicit material stored on Karley's personal laptop. The search was initiated following a tip-off from an anonymous source, prompting law enforcement officers to conduct a thorough search of his residence.

Upon examination of the device, authorities discovered a total of 1,364 indecent photographs, organized into various folders. Among these images, 18 were classified as level five, indicating the most severe category of abuse, while 216 fell into level four, 77 into level three, 25 into level two, and the remaining 1,364 into level one. The images depicted young children, with ages ranging from as young as two years old up to 15 years old, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material.

In addition to the photographs, investigators found 13 videos on Karley's computer, which collectively amounted to over three hours of footage. These videos also contained highly inappropriate content involving minors. Furthermore, law enforcement uncovered 20 images of extreme pornography, including material featuring bestiality, which is considered particularly heinous.

The police report indicated that the majority of the images and videos involved young girls, emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed. The case was brought before Aberdeen Sheriff Court, where Karley, who is self-employed after being made redundant from an oil and gas company in Aberdeen, admitted to the offences.

Representing Karley, defense lawyer Iain McGregor emphasized that his client, a first-time offender residing at 90 Montrose Street, Brechin, fully understood the gravity of his actions. McGregor urged the court to consider alternatives to imprisonment, highlighting the potential for rehabilitation.

During the sentencing hearing, Sheriff Graham Buchanan acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes, describing them as “disgusting offences.” While noting that Karley was on the verge of receiving a custodial sentence, the sheriff ultimately decided to impose a community payback order instead. Sheriff Buchanan stated, “It goes without saying that these are disgusting offences and as you have heard you have come very, very close to a custodial sentence. Although it could be said that you richly deserve a prison sentence, I’ve taken the view that the public interest will be better served by imposing a sentence that will allow you to address the issues you have which led to your offending.”

As part of his sentence, Karley was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and placed under supervision for a period of three years. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register and mandated to participate in the Tay Project, a rehabilitation program aimed at addressing the underlying issues that contributed to his offending behavior.