ANDREW HENDERSON FROM GARELOCHHEAD FACES SERIOUS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES IN DUMBARTON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Andrew Henderson, a 52-year-old resident of Garelochhead, has pleaded guilty to a series of serious criminal offenses involving the exploitation and abuse of minors, as well as the possession of extreme pornography. The charges stem from a lengthy investigation that uncovered a pattern of disturbing behavior spanning several years.

According to court proceedings held at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday, October 2, Henderson was found to have secretly filmed a young woman in her bedroom over a period exceeding two years. The recordings captured her in various states of undress and during sexual intercourse, all without her knowledge or consent. Henderson admitted that these recordings were made solely for his own sexual gratification, highlighting a deeply troubling pattern of voyeurism and exploitation.

The court also heard that Henderson possessed more than 4,000 indecent images, with 26 classified as the most severe category of abuse. These images included photographs of children from newborns to teenagers being sexually exploited or abused. The offenses related to these images took place at Henderson’s residence from March 14, 2008, to December 2, 2017. Additionally, he admitted to possessing extreme pornography, including images depicting bestiality, during the same period.

Prosecutor Kevin Doherty detailed the police investigation, revealing that authorities were alerted in December 2017 about the presence of indecent images of young children being downloaded onto Henderson’s internet-connected devices. Acting on this information, officers visited his home at 10:55 a.m. on December 4. When no one was initially present, they forced entry and conducted a thorough search of the property. During the search, six devices capable of internet access were discovered in the loft area, which was being used as an office or study space.

Henderson’s wife arrived home at around 1 p.m., and he returned approximately 40 minutes later. Confronted by officers, Henderson admitted that he was responsible for operating all the devices found. A detailed examination of one device, a hard drive, revealed an indecent image of a female child. Overall, authorities uncovered a staggering total of 4,004 indecent images, with 1,090 of these being readily accessible. Among these, 26 images were classified as the most severe, including one depicting a newborn female child being abused by an adult male. Dozens of other images showed female children aged between five and seven being subjected to abuse.

Furthermore, Henderson was found to possess 1,250 images of extreme pornography, including 50 moving images. The recordings of the woman in her bedroom were made during consensual sexual activity with an adult male, and audio recordings of these encounters were also recovered. When questioned, Henderson largely cooperated with police, accepted responsibility for the seized items, and made no further comment.

Defense lawyer Tom Brown indicated that he would reserve any comments until sentencing. The court, presided over by Sheriff Simon Pender, decided to defer sentencing until November 16 to allow for a comprehensive social background report and a risk assessment concerning Henderson’s potential danger to children. The sheriff also ordered that Henderson be placed on the Sex Offenders Register immediately and released him on bail pending the next hearing.