ALAN MACDONALD'S SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE IN COATBRIDGE AND MOTHERWELL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the communities of Coatbridge and Motherwell, Alan McDonald, a 38-year-old man from North Lanarkshire, has been sentenced to six years in prison following his second conviction related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

McDonald's arrest came after a police raid on his flat in Motherwell in August 2011, during which officers uncovered an alarming collection of digital material. Authorities seized his computer equipment and discovered a staggering total of 258,000 images and 758 video clips depicting children being abused. Many of these images were classified at the most severe end of the grading scale used by experts to assess such material, indicating the extreme nature of the content he possessed.

Following the investigation, McDonald was placed on an indefinite sex offenders register and was ordered to undergo two years of monitoring upon his release from prison. The High Court in Glasgow heard that McDonald had a prior conviction for similar offences dating back to 2002, which underscored a troubling pattern of offending behavior.

During the sentencing, Lord Pentland expressed grave concern over McDonald's repeated offenses. He highlighted that McDonald had previously served time for possessing indecent images of children, yet he continued to offend, with the current case representing a significant escalation. The judge emphasized that each image represented a serious abuse of a child and that those who view such material bear some responsibility for perpetuating the cycle of abuse by creating and maintaining demand.

Lord Pentland stated, “The court will impose a substantial sentence to mark the gravity of the conduct and society’s abhorrence for it.” The court also noted that some of the material seized was among the worst of its kind, further illustrating the severity of McDonald's actions.

When questioned about the findings, McDonald made no comment but admitted to having been attracted to children. His criminal history includes a four-month jail sentence in 2002, when he was 27, after downloading 600 indecent images while working as a volunteer with children at a project run by North Lanarkshire Council. During that earlier incident, he used a council computer at Kirkshaws Neighbourhood House in Coatbridge to create obscene images of young girls, which he then transferred onto a floppy disk and later to his personal computer.

In December 2012, the court was informed that McDonald’s collection of images was among the worst seen, with police describing the material as “serious abuse.” The police raid on his Motherwell home, located on Dalriada Crescent, resulted in the seizure of his computer equipment, which contained the vast collection of illicit images and videos.

McDonald’s history of offending is further underscored by his earlier conviction in 2002, when he was 27. At that time, he was working with children and had used a council-funded scheme to access and store hundreds of images of children in a degrading manner. His lawyer at the time, Eric Wallace, argued that McDonald had faced severe repercussions, including death threats, loss of employment, and social ostracism, following media coverage of his case. Despite claims that he deleted the images after each session, police found evidence that he had stored and viewed such material on unmonitored computers.

During the 2002 trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court, Sheriff Robert H.. Dickson reviewed all 600 images with the assistance of IT experts before sentencing. McDonald was sentenced to four months in prison and was placed on a two-year license upon release, with strict conditions including registration as a sex offender.

In the latest case, the court was told that McDonald had also been involved in a youth leadership role within a Baptist Church, working with children at the Neighbourhood House for approximately ten months before his activities were uncovered. It was revealed that he exploited a computer not linked to the council’s monitoring system to carry out his illicit activities.

Judge Lord Pentland, upon sentencing, emphasized the rarity of such cases and the importance of making an example of offenders to uphold societal standards. He acknowledged the impact on McDonald’s family and the public image, but stressed that the severity of the crimes warranted a custodial sentence. McDonald was sentenced to six years in prison, with an additional two years on license after his release, and was ordered to be registered as a sex offender for life.