ANDREW STEVENSON FROM KILMARNOCK AND ULVERSTON CONVICTED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In August 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Stevenson, a serving firearms officer with the Ministry of Defence, who was found to have downloaded a significant number of illegal images depicting child abuse. The incident took place in Ulverston, where Stevenson’s activities came under police scrutiny following a routine investigation.

According to court records, Stevenson, aged 24, pleaded guilty to three separate charges related to the possession of indecent images of children. The offences involved the download of over 160 images, categorized by severity. Specifically, he admitted to acquiring 94 images classified as Category A, which is considered the most serious level of child abuse material. Additionally, he confessed to downloading 37 images categorized as Category B, and 34 images classified as Category C, during the same period.

The police investigation was initiated on August 17 of the previous year when officers executed a search warrant at Stevenson’s residence in Ulverston. During the search, authorities seized multiple internet-enabled devices, including an iPhone and an iPad, which were subsequently subjected to forensic analysis. The examination revealed the presence of illegal images stored locally and accessed via a cloud storage service linked to Stevenson’s accounts.

Prosecutor George Shelley highlighted that the investigation uncovered the extent of Stevenson’s activities, which involved accessing these illicit images through online storage platforms. Despite his cooperation with police, Stevenson chose to give a no-comment interview but ultimately admitted to all three charges in court.

It was also revealed that Stevenson was a member of the armed forces, working as an authorized firearms officer. His current address was listed as West Park Crescent, Kilmaurs, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. The court was informed that Stevenson’s actions had serious legal consequences, including the requirement to register as a sex offender.

District Judge John Templerley presided over the case at Carlisle’s Rickergate Court. He ordered Stevenson to report to his local police station in Kilmarnock as part of his obligations under the Sex Offenders Register. The judge also scheduled a pre-sentence report and granted Stevenson bail under strict conditions, including a prohibition on any unsupervised contact with children and restrictions on residing in properties where children live.

The case was adjourned for sentencing at Carlisle Crown Court, with a hearing set for September 19. The judge emphasized the importance of Stevenson’s compliance with reporting requirements, warning that failure to do so within three days would constitute a breach of his bail conditions. The court made it clear that the severity of Stevenson’s sentence would influence the duration of his registration obligations under the Sexual Offences Act, which could be extended depending on the outcome of the sentencing.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat the distribution and possession of child abuse images, especially involving individuals in positions of trust and authority. The legal proceedings serve as a stark reminder of the serious consequences faced by those who engage in such criminal activities.