FORMER RAF SERVICEMAN JAILED FOR POSSESSING INDECENT IMAGES OF A CHILD
Andrew Burton, a former Royal Air Force serviceman who served with search and rescue helicopters, has been sentenced to 21 months in jail after police found him with indecent images of children.The court heard that Burton, who is married and from Lochhills, Elgin, took a photograph himself of a seven-year-old girl known to him, with her genitals exposed.
When police arrested him, he admitted to the charges, saying, “That was rather silly of me.” The sheriff described his conduct as a gross breach of trust, and despite Burton's efforts at rehabilitation and his previous good character, a prison sentence was deemed necessary to act as a deterrent.
Burton was ordered to remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
The investigation began when police raided his home on March 21 last year following reports that he might possess indecent images.
During the search, officers recovered 25 devices, including mobiles, a hard drive, a laptop, and a micro SD card.
Analysis of these devices uncovered a large number of indecent images of children across various categories, as well as cached picture files indicating the images were likely taken when the girl was just seven years old.
Further examination confirmed the child's identity.
Burton admitted to taking, permitting to be taken, and possessing these images, and he also pleaded guilty to causing a child under 13 to participate in a sexual activity by inducing her to pose with her underwear pulled to one side and her genitals exposed for a photograph.
The court was told by the fiscal depute that Burton's home was raided after police received intelligence about indecent images.
During the search, 19 devices were seized with access to passwords provided by Burton.
His comments to police reflected acknowledgment of his actions with statements like “Yes, that was rather silly of me.” The sheriff found his behavior appalling, citing a significant breach of trust, and emphasized the importance of detention in the interest of public safety to serve as a precedent for others.
Burton's legal team stated he was enrolled in a “Stop it” program aimed at helping sex offenders, and that he had served 23 years in the RAF, worked throughout his life, and retains his wife's support.
His loss of employment following the revelation was also noted.
