ALAN PARKER FROM BLAIRGOWRIE ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE HAVING OVER 4500 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In a case that has shocked the community of Blairgowrie, Alan Parker, a man previously regarded as a respected resident of Perthshire, has narrowly avoided imprisonment despite being found in possession of an alarming number of indecent images of children. The court proceedings revealed that Parker, aged 65, was discovered with more than 4,500 such images, a discovery that initially suggested a potential custodial sentence due to the severity and volume of the material.

However, during the sentencing hearing, Sheriff Michael Fletcher expressed reservations about imposing a jail term. He noted that the majority of the images were classified at the lower end of the scale, which influenced the decision to avoid immediate imprisonment. Nonetheless, the sheriff raised serious concerns about the images assessed at levels 4 and 5, which depict the most heinous forms of child abuse. These images, nearly 100 in number, were evaluated by Tayside Police and caused significant alarm.

Sheriff Fletcher explained that if it had been possible to impose an extended sentence, Parker would have almost certainly been jailed. He stated, “Another difficulty is the social inquiry report indicates that, if I decide to impose a custodial sentence, I should impose an extended one. But, in the report, under the risk assessment, they say there is no view of him being likely to pose serious harm to individuals in the community.” The sheriff emphasized that one of the primary reasons for extended sentences is to protect the public from potential harm, but the evidence in this case did not support such a risk.

The case originated from a police tip-off about Parker’s activities, which led to a search warrant being executed at his residence on Balmoral Road in Blairgowrie on April 27, 2010. During the raid, officers recovered two computer towers, which upon further examination, were found to contain a significant amount of child pornography. The first computer contained 90 images classified as level 1, along with a video assessed at level 3 on the police’s definitive scale. The second computer was even more troubling, housing thousands of images, including 4,648 images assessed as level 1, along with 97 images at levels 2 and 3, and 95 at the highest levels of abuse.

In addition to digital evidence, printed photographs, apparently sourced from the internet, were also discovered within Parker’s home. Despite efforts to trace the suspect, officers left a “calling card” at his residence, which Parker found upon returning from a short break. It was not until a week later, on May 4, that Parker made contact with the police.

During the court hearing, defense lawyer David Holmes stated that Parker, who is responsible for caring for an elderly parent, had cooperated fully with authorities from the outset and was a willing participant in the investigation. Parker pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing indecent or pseudo photographs of children, covering the period from January 12, 2008, to April 27, 2010.

In sentencing, Sheriff Fletcher placed Parker on probation for three years and imposed five additional conditions. These included mandatory participation in a community sex offender program, restrictions on owning or using any equipment that could access the internet without supervision, and a ban on possessing any photographic or mobile devices capable of sending or receiving images. Furthermore, Parker was prohibited from engaging in any paid or voluntary work involving contact with children and was barred from having unsupervised contact with minors. The sheriff also ordered Parker to be registered as a sex offender for the duration of his probation period, underscoring the seriousness of the offense and the ongoing risk to the community.